An artwork of thousands of wooden coffee stirrers wins big at textile and fiber awards

Stirring tapestry wins big at textile and fiber awards. A striking artwork of thousands of wooden coffee stirrers has won the top prize in Nelson’s Changing Threads Contemporary Textile and Fibre Art Awards. This year 135 works were submitted from 70 artists from around the country for the annual contemporary art awards, which showcase fiber and textile art. Forty-nine works by 35 artists were selected for the exhibition.

Held by Arts Council Nelson and with 00 in prizes, Changing Threads is New Zealand’s premier textile award.

Jeanette Verster from New Plymouth won the Bernina Award for the most creative use of a sewing machine with her work Hollow Words. In contrast, Nelson artist Janet Bathgate won the Award of Distinction for her artwork Microphyllum anxietaceae. Donna Allfrey from Christchurch won the Dame Suzie Moncrieff Merit Award with her piece Kai.



From harakeke and cotton to silk, avocado skins and seeds, wool blankets, possum yarn, and dried leaves, many textiles and mediums have been used in artworks in the exhibition.

Traditional quilting, embroidery, twining, and art techniques have been applied to produce contemporary works.