JANET BAYLY
Janet Bayly is the director of Toi Mahara, Kāpiti Coast District Gallery, and also a curator, editor and writer. Janet is Principal Judge, and co-selector with Curator Georgie Keyse, of the 2026 Friends of Pātaka Art Awards.
GEORGIE KEYSE
Georgie Keyse is Curator Community Exhibitions at Pātaka Art+Museum and curates the Friends of Pātaka Art Awards exhibition. In 2024 and again in 2026, she is part of the selection and judging panel for the Art Awards, in particular for First Time Entrants. She previously held roles at Manatū Taonga – Ministry for Culture and Heritage, City Gallery Invercargill, and was awarded the 2019 Liz Stringer Curatorial internship at Te Pūkenga Whakaata New Zealand Portrait Gallery. She has a Master of User Experience Design at Victoria University and has a Post Graduate Diploma in Museum Studies from Massey University.
SHARON HALL
Sharon Hall is a Director of The Learning Connexion since May 2025, taking over the role after Jonathan Milne’s retirement. Jonathan established The Learning Connexion: School of Creativity and Art (TLC) based in Taita, 34 years ago. Since 2013, when Friends of Pātaka Art Awards began, he sponsored and judged TLC’s scholarship award. Since Jonathan’s retirement, TLC remain committed to honouring his legacy by continuing to sponsor and judge the Creativity and Promise Scholarship. Sharon is judging the award this year, which entitles the winner to study for a Level 5 or 6 Certificate at The Learning Connexion.
Sharon serves as a Trustee of the TLC Educational Trust and brings over two decades of experience in education, leadership, and organisational operations. As the Operations Director, Sharon is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day functioning of the organisation — guiding decisions that shape the student experience, ensure financial sustainability, and strengthen relationships with key external and government agencies.
Sharon’s journey with the organisation began nearly 20 years ago, initially joining as a Distance Delivery mentor before taking on roles central to the development of the prison programme. Her long-standing commitment to academic quality and organisational growth is reflected in her service on the Academic Board for more than 15 years and as a member of the Management Team for the past 12 years.
Before embarking on her professional career, Sharon studied at Palmerston North Teaching College, later completing a four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts with a major in ceramics and glass.
EUON MURRELL
Euon Murrell is Chair of the Pātaka Foundation and an Honorary Member of Friends of Pātaka. He has been contributed to the judging panel for the Highly Commended Award, which he has sponsored via Tommy’s Mana since 2013.
JANE HYDER
Jane is sponsor and judge of the Jane Hyder Painting Prize for Friends of Pātaka 2026 Art Awards. Jane is also the sponsor of The Jane Hyder Portrait Prize for Aratoi Museum and Gallery, Masterton. Hyder is a practising and exhibiting artist with a long 35-year professional career. Her exhibitions, both solo and group, have been in New Zealand and New Zealand House, London, United Kingdom. She is a painter and has produced 3 artist books on her 70 artworks, which are archived in the National Library of New Zealand and The United Kingdom. Recent work has produced artcards in collaboration with Thumbnail Media United Kingdom and Aratoi Museum and Gallery. Hyder likes judging the Friends of Pātaka Award and considers layout, colour, harmony subject matter, technique and maybe the x factor, this technique is also part of her own painting style.
Jane has been an artist for 30 years, and has a studio at Toi Poneke Arts Centre, Abel Smith Street, Wellington. She has a Graduate Diploma in Fine Art from Massey University, Wellington and trained at the Slade Art School in London and has been an art teacher for 20 years. Jane has exhibited in New Zealand and in NZ House in London.