Portrait Prize Planned

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31407, 28 June 1967, Page 3

Portrait Prize Planned

(N Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 27. A portrait painting prize to be judged with the Kelliher art competition for landscape artists was announced today by Sir Henry Kelliher, founder of the Kelliher Art Trust.

The new prize was almost certain to be introduced next year, he said when making a gift of a portrait of the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) by William Dargie, an Australian artist, to the National Art Gallery. The portrait prize had been considered for some time and would be launched with a first prize of £250 for the best portrait painting of the year. “I feel New Zealand must have some portrait painters,” he said.

He was sure that the new competition would discover in some part of New Zealand a fine portrait artist whose talents might aspire to equal those of the old masters. “We will offer the cash prize as an incentive for them to come forward,” he said.

As with the present compe-

tition, the portrait prize was aimed at raising painting standards in New Zealand. It would be judged by the same judge who decided the leaders in the landscape competition. The matter would have to be discussed on his return to Auckland, with the board of the Kelliher Trust. He personally would like to

see entries recording for posterity the noble heads of some of the last of the old Rangatira caste of Maori leader, similar to those of Lindauer and Goldie. He considered these a priceless heritage for New Zealand, and would like to see more painted before the type disappeared completely from New Zealand.