Our young South and East Auckland environmentalists took the spotlight for bringing awareness to our native plants, insects, and animals through their creative art installations at the Eye on Nature Creative Arts 2024 prize-giving, held this past Saturday. A total of $2,550 in cash prizes and art supply vouchers have been divided among winning schools.
The Future of Sustainability
The Eye on Nature Creative Arts competition, held annually by The Beautification Trust, welcomes tamariki from South and East Auckland primary schools and kindergartens to create works focusing on the 2024 theme, "Act local – What’s in your backyard?", exploring how to care for our local spaces and look after te taiao (the environment) around them, using locally sourced materials and re-purposed waste.
The Award-Winning Art
The students from Tamaoho Primary School landed first prize with their collaborative efforts in the primary school category for their creation, 'Protecting our Pollinators'. Their large and vibrant piece depicts a compilation of flowers the students have planted themselves and insects such as bees and butterflies who spread pollen and helping the plants to flourish. The entire school contributed to the collage, with each student putting their own touch to the flower or butterfly they had picked to illustrate.
Meanwhile, our youngest artists at Hillpark Kindergarten took the top spot in the kindergarten category with their artwork, 'Kaitiaki o to tatou taiao'. Composed of flowers, seeds and leaves gathered from their walks through nature, the mosaic-like piece represents their sustainable growth as they gain more knowledge about the nature around them.
~
“We loved the innovative techniques, materials, and composition used in the artworks. The clear evidence of their passion is reflected within the details and appealing colours. It’s great to see the learning outcomes they had in the process," say the judges of this year's competition.
Family Fun School Holiday Event
All submissions are on display now in the Auckland Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre at the free Eye on Nature Creative Arts Exhibition during the Term 3 school holidays. Attendees are invited to vote for their favourite artwork for the People's Choice Award.
Our Sponsors and Supporters
The Beautification Trust hosts the annual event as part of its award-winning children's environmental Eye on Nature education programme. The event is sponsored by Auckland Council and the six southern local boards.
We would also like to thank Marshal Walia for generously sponsoring the 2nd and 3rd prizes for the kindergarten category.
The 2024 Creative Arts Winners
Kindergarten Winners:
1st place, $500: Hillpark Kindergarten, 'Kaitiaki o to tatou taiao'
2nd place, $250: Pakuranga Baptist Kindergarten, 'We are old enough to save our planet'
3rd place, $100: KiNZ Mission Heights, 'Our Future Ngahere'
Primary School Winners:
1st place, $750: Tamaoho Primary School, 'Protecting our Pollinators'
2nd place, $500: Lucy Athena Belle Buzmion, Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School, 'Bugs in my Garden'
3rd place, $250: Flynn Head, South Auckland Middle School, 'Get One Step Ahead’
Other:
Beautification Trust Pick $50: Aorere Kindergarten, ‘Tipu Pakiake’
People’s Choice Awards $150: To be determined
Comments