Belinda Griffiths wins Winesale.co.nz Wine Label Award
Friday 29 July 2011, 12:11PM
By Winesale.co.nz
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The winner of the $10,000 Winesale.co.nz Wine Label Art Award 2011 is Auckland artist Belinda Griffiths. The Award was announced last night at the 2011 New Zealand Art Show’s Gala Evening attended by over 1,200 people.
Yesterday, Winesale.co.nz representatives viewed some 3,000 artworks by 675 artists before choosing to award this year’s Wine Label Art Award to Belinda for her painting ‘Breathe’.
Belinda has exhibited previously at the New Zealand Art Show and at the Seed Gallery in Newmarket.
She works primarily in acrylic on canvas and hand pulled monoprints. Her works concentrate largely on the expressive qualities of mark-making and the conveying of emotion through the human form.
The Winesale.co.nz Wine Label Award is open to any artist whose work is selected for exhibition at the New Zealand Art Show. Winesale.co.nz’s Michael Mebus created the award concept. Michael is a Wairarapa winemaker, an art collector, and General Manager of Winesale.co.nz.
Michael Mebus said, “Belinda’s ‘Breathe’ will feature on the label of two wines, a Martinborough Pinot Noir and a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Five thousand bottles of each varietal will be produced in time for Christmas and be named the ‘Griffiths’ Wine Series.”
The ‘Griffiths’ Series wines will be sold online by Winesale.co.nz and the New Zealand Art Show website, and be available at the Museum Hotel’s Hippopotamus restaurant.
This prestigious Award aims to promote the work of emerging New Zealand artists, provide national recognition for the winning artist and highlight the relationship between fine wine and fine art. Last year’s winner was Seatoun artist Richard Thurston who provided the artwork for the ‘Thurston Series’ wines.
Art and wine have a long association. Since 1924, Chateau Mouton Rothschild has commissioned a contemporary artist to create an original work to illustrate its label. Artists commissioned have included Salvador Dali 1958, Henry Moore 1964, Joan Miro 1969, Marc Chagall 1970, Pablo Picasso 1973 and Andy Warhol 1975.
The Winesale.co.nz Wine Label Award builds on this association between wine and art, but aims to assist an emerging New Zealand artist rather than reward an established name.
Michael Mebus said, “We salute Belinda, making great wine takes time and passion, just like great art. This Award is a celebration of the natural association between art and wine, and Winesale.co.nz is pleased to be able to sponsor this Award. We are committed to support the New Zealand Art Show and, through the Wine Label Award, helping this country’s emerging artists develop their art and careers.”