The 10-day exhibition, to be held in June at the at the Riversdale Community Centre, will begin with the announcement of the emerging artist award, which is open to artists aged 13-25 living in Southland, Queenstown-Lakes, or West Otago.
The award had 44 entries in 2025 — the most since its inception in 2016.
Judges select the top 10 artworks which are displayed on the exhibition’s opening day, and a winner is announced at a gala evening that night.
Long-standing judges of the award, Marcella and Jim Geddes, of Gore, who have gone through art school and worked in design and illustration, said they had seen a variety of artwork submitted.
There had been entries featuring painting, photography, print making, sculpture and digital manipulation, i.e. taking an image and editing it creatively on a computer.
Last year’s winner of the emerging artist award was 18-year-old Finn Young , from Southland Boys’ High School, who entered a printmaking piece from his nature-inspired year 13 art board.
His woodcut entry told the story of the extinction of the huia, a black native bird known for its white-tipped tail feathers, and it was judged among etchings and photography.
"I was actually quite shocked. I didn’t actually think I was going to win... I reckon it could have gone either way," Mr Young said.
The exhibition, run by Riversdale Arts, will be held from June 19 to 27.
![Anchor What? [maquette] (2002), by Morgan Jones. Plywood.](https://www.odt.co.nz/sites/default/files/styles/odt_landscape_small_related_stories/public/story/2026/04/maquette_for_anchor_what_2.jpg?itok=dZ-h_JE8)
