Valued at $10,000, the winner of the COCA Anthony Harper Award for Contemporary Art in 2009 will be selected by arts consultant, author and ‘cultural curmudgeon’ Hamish Keith. The winner will be announced at the exhibition opening Tuesday 12th May at 5.30pm at COCA Gallery. This year COCA received close to 400 entries from throughout New Zealand. As one of the country’s leading, and most prestigious, art competitions for contemporary practice, public interest has continued to grow since the inaugural award in 2004.

Anthony Harper Lawyer’s support has been critical to this success. Now in its 6th year its role in engaging and developing audiences in a first-hand experience of contemporary New Zealand art remains impressive.

Past recipients are: Zina Swanson 2004, Lorraine Rastorfer 2005, Ina Johann 2006, Rama Port 2007 and Roger Boyce 2008.

[24th March, 2009]