Inaugural Zonta Ashburton Female Art Award 2017 premier winner Fiona Van Oyen (centre) and Young Generation award winner Emma Mealings (second from right), with judges (from left) Kate McKenzie-Pollock, Johanna Zellmer and Felicity Milburn. Photo suppliedThe first Zonta Ashburton Female Art Award has been hailed a success.

It attracted 42 art work entries and a full house of guests at the opening at Ashburton Art Gallery on Friday night.

The award replaces Zonta’s previous Youth Art Awards.

Christchurch artist Fiona van Oyen was named the premier award winner, taking the honour for her large-scale lino print called I think this is part of our garden.

Judge Felicity Milburn, who is a Christchurch art gallery curator, said the work impressed the judging panel with its ambition and sense of discovery.

“Starting with something familiar and domestic, the artist thoroughly destabilised the original imagery, leaving us with something much less certain and much more powerful,” Milburn said.

The prize was $3500 and an opportunity to hold a solo exhibition at the gallery in March next year.

A $500 Young Generation award, open for females aged 16 to 20, went to Emma Mealings of Ashburton, for her photographic triptych Memories.

Ashburton gallery curator Shirin Khosraviani said the new Zonta award represented a partnership between the gallery and Zonta.

Its aim was to empower and advance the career of emerging to mid-career female artists in the Canterbury region.

“Zonta and the gallery are incredibly proud to be able to present such an opportunity for female artists,” she said.

By Susan Sandys © The Ashburton Guardian - 7 March 2017

Krishay Nadan photo suppliedKrishay Nadan is aiming to impress judges with his Bollywood-inspired dance moves and hip hop attitude when he performs at the World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) in Los Angeles, USA later this year.

The Ashburton College Year 11 student qualified for WCOPA late last year alongside three other performers from Mid Canterbury – Ocean Waitokia, 14, Tilly Smith, 17, and Liam Pram, 15.

The global competition is considered to be the olympics of the performance arts world.

Krishay will perform his moves in four categories; hip hop, lyrical, ethnic and open.

The talented dancer, who is Fijian born, is self taught and has no dancers in the family to call upon for advice.

“I watch a lot of Bollywood movies and just make up and practise my own routines,” he said.

Krishay and his parents will become New Zealand citizens tomorrow and have lived here for 10 years.

He claimed his first performance trophy while a student at Ashburton Intermediate.

In his first year at college he was second in a dance competition and followed that up with a lip sync win last year.

Krishay said he was both nervous and excited by the prospect of performing in Los Angeles.

“I’ve performed at Indian Diwali celebrations both here and in Timaru before and also at the recent Multi Cultural Bite, but dancing in front of judges in the USA will be a whole different matter.”

Krishay will wear traditional Indian style kurta pyjamas for some of his performances and regular street wear for others.

He needs to raise close to $7000 for the 17 day trip and has set up a page on Facebook to support his effort (Give a little for Krishay).

Financial support had also been generously given by family members here and overseas in Fiji and also from local service clubs.

Proceeds from the Fijian Indian food stall at the Multi Cultural Bite event, from sausage sizzles and from future fudge sales would also help support his dream, said Krishay.

“I’d loved to win a scholarship from the LA trip and to be a professional dancer one day.”

As well as very proud parents, Krishay Nadan also has two younger siblings, Kevish, 6, and Krishant, 4, who are watching their brother’s moves in awe and cheering him on.

By Mick Jensen © The Ashburton Courier - 2 March 2017

Ashlee Strawbridge (pictured) and Sophie Adams (insert) have been selected for the New Zealand under 16 basketball team. Photo Ashburton GuardianTwo Ashburton girls have been named in the New Zealand under 16 basketball team that will take on the Aussies later this year.

Sophie Adams and Ashlee Strawbridge, who play for Ashburton College and are representative players for Basketball Mid Canterbury, were amongst the 10-member team named by Basketball New Zealand yesterday.

A New Zealand B squad was also named for games in Australia.

Head coach of the New Zealand under 16 girls team, Natalie Visger, says the wider squad is a very athletic and passionate group with a bright basketball future.

For the New Zealand Under 16s team, the pinnacle event will be the Australian Junior Championships in July.

This tournament is the most prestigious age-group national basketball event in Australia, where the best of the best juniors in Australia and New Zealand compete.

Visger says the games will be fast-paced and largely dictated by the players out on the court.

“We aren’t going to be able to influence the referees or expect much fan support, so these girls need to be prepared to fight and scrap their way through each game.

“I think we have a chance to make some waves and to play some very exciting basketball.”

New Zealand Under 16 Girls Team:

Sophie Adams – Basketball Mid Canterbury

Waiata Jennings – Rotorua Basketball Association

Jazzmyne Kailahi-Fulu – Harbour Basketball

Parris Libby May Mason – New Plymouth Basketball Association

Hannah Matehaere – Basketball Otago

Jessica Moors – Harbour Basketball

Caitlin O’Connell – Taranaki Country Basketball Association

Emilia Shearer – Harbour Basketball

Dominique Stephens – Waikato Basketball Council

Ashlee Strawbridge – Basketball Mid Canterbury.

© The Ashburton Guardian - 1 March 2017