CRAFT AWARDS 2009

Designs from 134 crafters make it into the final judging process.

The judging process in the Department of Arts and Culture’s Craft Awards 2009 is complete and 134 crafters whose designs made it into the final judging process now wait anxiously for the winners to be announced on April 17.

Craft Ya Rona, the official organisation that is assisting the Department of Arts and Culture received 415 entries and the selectors chose 134 pieces to go through to the provincial judging which took place on March 19. The panel of judges for the competition will include: a Senior Lecturer of Art at UNISA, a Specialist in ceramic design, an expert in Zulu beadwork, the Head of Department, Fine and Applied Arts at the Tshwane University of Technology, the Curator of the Polokwane Art Museum and a Design expert.

Each judge meticulously reviewed the pieces to ensure it matched the criteria and also expressed South Africa’s culture and heritage. There are three categories that are promoted in this competition - Textile/Fabric, Ceramic/Pottery and Woodwork. Each category was judged on the standard of quality and workmanship, innovation and the use of environmentally friendly materials.

The winners of the Craft Awards 2009 will be announced at an Awards Ceremony and Exhibition in Pretoria at the Reserve Bank Conference Centre on April 17, 2009. All selected craft works will be exhibited until April 24.

Winners from each of the nine Provinces will receive R10,000 while second and third prize winners for each Province will receive R5,000 and R2,500 respectively. In addition, a catalogue featuring all the finalists will be distributed to all major art galleries and corporates across the country to provide further exposure of the artists.