THE standard of art in the Manawatu Community Arts Council millennium art awards "just blew away" judge Jack Register.

"When I walked into the display I said to Jill (Darragh) 'wow!"' he said. He spent three hours before deciding on the winners of the three sections and the overall winner of the supreme award.

"When dealing with art done by New Zealanders from small towns. we are not looking at major academic works," he said.

"But, it seems, the smaller the town, the better the standard of art. Feilding is leading the way in the Manawatu with these awards."

He added that he would like to see the awards extended to include a "people" section.

Chairwoman of the arts council Mrs Darragh said Manawatu District Council had made it possible to stage the awards when the criteria for the Creative Communities grants changed this year, and the arts council was unable to get the funding required from that source.

The winner of the oil and acrylic section was David Taylor's "Winter Evening Tangimoana", which was also the supreme award winner. Highly commended were "Shapes of the Manawatu" by Sally Hewson, "Rock Face Manawatu" by Judy Johnstone, "Makino Stream" by K F Saxton and "MM" by Ross Edney.

In the watercolour and other media section, the winner was Jill Gibson for "In Essence". Highly commended were "Performers All" by Jean Frank, "Aspects Manawatu" by Rita Easther and "Our Last House Cow" by Alison Hayward.

Barbara Dawkins' clay figure "All heart" won the sculpture and carving class, which had 16 entries.

Highly commended were "Transitions", a bronze by Leon Mitchell,and "Reconciled", in Oamaru stone, by Charlotte Hulme-Moir.

reporter BOBBIE NICHOLLS from the 'Feilding Herald'