Show celebrates emerging Kiwi artists
This year’s NZ Art Show is celebrating 10 artists who have excelled in previous shows.
The 14th annual event, the country’s largest curated art sale of New Zealand art, features the first Emerging Artist Project.
The project celebrates the RT Nelson Emerging Artist Award and the artists who have benefited from it since the award’s inception.
The project artists are in various stages of their art careers. They range from students to professionals.
Event executive director Carla Russell says the Emerging Artist Award programme has proven to be one of the art show’s greatest successess.
‘‘The Emerging Artist Award gallery is one of the first ports of call for astute collectors,’’ she says.
‘‘This [Emerging Artist Project] collection will demonstrate to the greater NZ Art Show audience the wealth of artistic excellence emerging from New Zealand’s art schools.’’
Russell says it is important to honour upcoming artists and their works.
That is why the Emerging Artist Award, which is funded by Wellington businessman Richard Nelson, was established in 2012.
‘‘Awards to emerging artists are important: they give confidence and recognition to artists at the early stages of their careers.
‘‘This confidence and recognition hopefully allows them to believe that they have what it takes to forge ahead in what can be a tough career path.
‘‘I believe that it is important to reward artistic excellence and the emerging artist awards allow us to do that.’’
Photographer Willough McFarlane was an award recipient in 2014, back when she was studying a Bachelor of Design, First Class Honours, majoring in photography at Massey University in Wellington.
She says she originally felt a case of ‘‘imposter syndrome’’ when she found out she won.
‘‘It was a huge confidence booster,’’ she says.
‘‘It was probably a point where I thought ‘I should take this seriously’.’’
She says the cash prize of $2500 helped her buy photography gear her student budget would never had allowed. It also helped her grow contacts.
McFarlane now lives in Sydney and says having the award on her CV was a ‘‘huge help’’.
Russell, who has been involved with running the show since it began in 2004, says it will be great to see past emerging artist participants exhibiting their work together.
‘‘This collection will show the works from artists that have proved they are committed to their craft; not only have they completed tertiary education but have had the confidence to carry on.’’