Media Release – Friday August 31 2012

Māori Regional Urban Art Competition emerging talent search

Young people across the region are being invited to enter an urban art competition, by Council, in a bid to tap into local emerging talent, starting this weekend.

For the first time, three events featuring traditional and contemporary Māori arts will feature in this year’s Nelson Arts Festival.

Named Toi Ora, which means Living Art, the events are raranga (weaving) workshops, the regional urban art competition and a Māori Arts market.

Festival Director Sophie Kelly says “It is really exciting to see the Urban Art competition kick off and we are looking forward to seeing the works being showcased and getting young people engaged with this new project”.

As a lead up to the competition a series of workshops lead by Nelson urban art promoter and collector George Shaw are being held with youth. Aided by YMCA representative Tremain Mikaere, Mr Shaw is speaking to the students about his world-class collection.

Mr Shaw, a British expat now living in Nelson, owns a significant number of works by internationally acclaimed street artist Banksy, and was behind the Oi You! urban art exhibition and competition held at Founders Heritage Park last year.

He is showing students images of work by Banksy and New Zealand street artists like Milton Springsteen.

The Māori regional urban art competition, sponsored by Hamish Fletcher Lawyers and Cheapskates, kicks off on 1 September. Open to all youth aged 14 – 20 years, finalists will be invited to Nelson to reproduce their entries at the Refinery Art Space Gallery and then exhibit during the festival.

The competition asks participants to express, in the modern urban art genre, a Māori world view concept of turangawaewae, a place to stand.

The entry form can be found at nelsonartsfestival.co.nz in the Toi Ora section.

The Nelson Arts Festival is produced by the Nelson City Council as a celebration for locals and an attraction for visitors. For more information, please visit nelsonartsfestival.co.nz

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