Artist from PNG chosen for inaugural residency

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Jeffry Feeger with his painting, A New Bougainville, 2006.

Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust
Media Release
17 February 2009

Artist from Papua New Guinea chosen for inaugural residency

Jeffry Feeger has been announced as the successful recipient of the inaugural Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust and Pacific Cooperation Foundation Artist Residency 2009.

Jeffry is a 26 year old artist from Papua New Guinea whose passion and commitment to art were evident in his application. Deborah White, who’s been facilitating the project, commented that the selection panel were unanimous in their decision to offer him the residency.

“We’re aware that Jeffry’s had minimal formal art tuition but has been able to support himself through his artistic talents for the past seven years,” says Deborah.

“We hope that he’ll be able to maximise his time here in Auckland by networking and experiencing the New Zealand art scene,” she adds.

Organised by Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust and sponsored by the Pacific Cooperation Foundation, the residency provides the artist with return airfares, accommodation and a stipend for the six week duration.

The purpose of offering this new residency is to give a Pacific Island artist from outside New Zealand the opportunity to meet and interact with the local art community.

Jeffry has been offered the gift of time and support to visit galleries and libraries and to utilise public institutions for research. There is also the chance to participate in several Pacific-related events held in Auckland during March, and to network and make contacts that will assist him in continuing his own art-making when he returns home.

Jeffry will arrive in Auckland in late February and will be available for interviews during his stay.

Ends

Notes to Media:

The Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust (Tautai) was established in the 1980s to mentor and support contemporary Pacific art and artists. As a charitable trust it continues to pursue its goals of promoting and providing profile to Pacific heritage visual artists and their work. It organises a number of events and exhibitions each year and provides a wide range of support to the Pacific visual artist community based in New Zealand.

The Pacific Cooperation Foundation (PCF) is an independent public/private partnership focused on the mission of benefiting the peoples of the Pacific Islands and New Zealand by increasing cooperation and understanding. One of PCF’s objectives is to promote New Zealand’s identity as a Pacific nation. PCF engages in a variety of project programmes and also coordinates the New Zealand Pacific Museums Network.

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