Prestigious scholarship for Olveston manager

Dunedin (Friday, 11 March 2016) – Olveston Manager, Jeremy Smith, has been awarded a heritage and decorative arts scholarship to attend the prestigious Attingham Trust Summer School in England in July.

New Zealand financier, arts connoisseur and heritage advocate, Errol Clark, created the opportunity to expand New Zealand's knowledge of built heritage and decorative arts with the establishment of The Clark Collection Scholarship in 2003.

The sought-after scholarship enables one New Zealander a year to attend the prestigious Attingham Trust Summer School in England and participate in its exclusive three-week course studying historic English country houses and their collections.

British High Commissioner, His Excellency Jonathan Sinclair, announced the awarding of the scholarship to Mr Smith at an event hosted by Museums Aotearoa, Mr Clark and Te Papa Director Rick Ellis in Wellington yesterday (Thursday, 10 March).

"I'm absolutely thrilled to be able to participate in the Attingham Summer School through the generous support of Errol Clark and the Clark Collection Scholarship," Mr Smith says.

"I am extremely grateful to Mr Clark and the scholarship selection committee for their vote of confidence. To have this opportunity to visit many of England's great historic homes and learn from experts across the international museum sector is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am very proud to have been selected."

The Attingham Summer School offers a unique opportunity for 40 participants from around the world to learn about the history, architecture, contents and context of historic buildings and their gardens and estates. It examines how they are managed and explores contemporary challenges for display, access, conservation and interpretation. It is regarded as the leading study opportunity of its type anywhere in the world.

Mayor of Dunedin Dave Cull says, "Dunedin is steeped in heritage, it is a city that celebrates the diverse cultural influences that shaped it.

"Olveston is an important part of that and Jeremy is an excellent ambassador for this aspect of brand Dunedin. His participation in the Attingham Summer School will deliver fresh ideas to help celebrate and position this important visitor asset not only to our local residents but to our domestic and international visitors as well."

George Friedlander, Chairman of the Theomin Gallery Committee which governs Olveston and its collections, says, "Jeremy's passion for Olveston is well known amongst the visitor community. The creative way in which he has approached programmes to showcase the treasures within, and the history of, Olveston itself is outstanding.

"For Jeremy to now have the opportunity to explore the built heritage and decorative arts of some of Britain's finest homes through the Clark Collection Scholarship is testimony to his reputation and skill in preserving and celebrating one of our city's finest pieces of living history," Mr Friedlander says.

ENDS

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