Portage Ceramic Awards


The annual Portage Ceramic Awards is New Zealand's premier ceramics event. Established in 2001, the awards are funded by The Trusts Charitable Foundation and administered by Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery. A national award, the Portage Ceramics Awards also acknowledge Waitakere City’s long history of ceramic practice, dating back to 1852.

The competition

Entry is available to artists of New Zealand citizenship. The annual awards are judged each year by a different international judge, usually from the field of ceramics. An open call is made for entries, and since the third award onwards the judge has selected a group of finalists for exhibition. An exhibition is held at Te Uru and a publication produced.

Residencies

In 2013 two international residencies were announced as part of the awards: the Guldagergaard residency in Skaelskor, Denmark, awarded to Richard Stratton and a residency in Medalta, Medicine Hat, Canada, awarded to Melissa Ford.
In 2014 a workshop scholarship to the Peters Valley School of Craft in New Jersey was awarded to Chris Weaver.

Award winners

YearJudgePremier awardRunner-up or residency awardMerit award or Artist award
2001Mitsuo ShojiTony Bond, QumbilicumsTed Dutch, Chris Weaver
2002Michael KeigheryRichard Parker, SignalsKate Fitzharris, Sanderson Kindleysides, Aidan Howse
2003Julie BartholomewPenny Ericson, Six Days in a Southern LandscapeAnn Verdcourt, Susannah Bridges, Amanda Shanley
2004Patsy HelyRaewyn Atkinson, Cape Evans 2John Roy, Danny Rowlandson, Aya Sato
2005Robert BellMerilyn Wiseman, Arctic RimHelen Yau, Claire Barton, Phillipa Durkin
2006Bill SamuelsPeter Lange, LiloOwen Bartlett, Mark Mitchell, Danny Rowlandson
2007Jeff ShapiroDeAnne Lawford-Smith, Keeping Quiet and Heart of GlassGreg Barron, Tim Holman, Katherine Smyth, Onlie Ong, John Parker
2008Grace CochraneMatt McLean, Scaled HeightsMadeleine Child, Philipa Durkin, Tim Holman, Michael Michaels, Sang Sool Shim & Keum Sun Lee
2009Scott ChamberlinJoint winners: Madeleine Child & Philip Jarvis, Doodads & Doodahs and Widespread Occurrence of Possible Symbioses / Jim Cooper, Drug Jars and VendorPhillipa Durkin, Emily Siddell, Kristy Palleson, Sang Sool Shim & Keum Sun Lee, John Parker
2010Stephen BowersKirsty Gardiner, Secrets A JarGreg Barron, Georgina Caulton, Kate Fitzharris, Melissa Ford, Rhonda Jameson, Duncan Shearer
2011Janet MansfieldBridie Henderson, FeathersChris WeaverBrendan Adams, Maureen Allison, Kirsty Gardiner, Cheryl Oliver
2012Paul ScottJim Cooper, Millbrook Holiday Kate McLean, Fran Maguire,
2013Amy GogartyRobert Rapson, Himalaya Serves The World 1949 - Early 70sMel Ford, Richard StrattonMaria Hewitt, Kim Henderson, Jane McCulla
2014Takeshi YasudaLouise Rive, The Space BetweenChris WeaverKate Fitzharris, Madeleine Child, Duncan Shearer, Frank Checketts
2015Ingrid MurphyRaewyn Atkinson, Wasters III John ParkerVirginia Leonard, Paul Maseyk
2016Janet DeBoosCaroline Earley, Clinch VIGreg BarronSusannah Bridges, Jim Cooper, Mark Goody & Emily Siddell
2017Emma BugdenRichard Stratton, Forced Turn TeapotAndrea du ChatenierCheryl Lucas, John Parker, Amanda Shanley
2018Bari ZipersteinSang-Sool Shim and Keum-Sun Lee, In the Beautiful DreamJim Cooper, Andrea du Chatenier, and Rick Rudd

Further information

An annual publication is produced by Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery. .