Affordable Art Trust Establishes New Awards

New Zealand Affordable Art Trust Establishes New Awards for Emerging Artists

Wellington: The New Zealand Affordable Art Trust (NZAAT) last night announced that it has established four new awards for this country’s emerging artists.

The New Zealand Art Show’s executive director Carla Russell announced these new awards at an event to launch the 2012 Show at the Museum Art Hotel.

These new awards seek to recognise and reward emerging New Zealand artists and each winner will receive $3,000. The recipients will be selected by the

country’s leading tertiary schools of art: Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland; Massey University’s School of Arts, Wellington; the University

of Canterbury’s School of Fine Arts, Christchurch; and Otago Polytechnic’s School of Art, Dunedin.

Carla Russell said, “The selection of each award winner will be made by the faculty of each institution. The NZAAT and the New Zealand Art Show thought

it best to have a ‘hands-off’ approach and leave the criteria and the selection over to those who nurture and train our emerging artists.”

In addition to receiving $3,000 each, the four winners may exhibit up to three works each at the annual New Zealand Art Show.

The 2012 NZAAT Emerging Artist Awards were made possible through the generosity of a New Zealand Art Show patron and NZAAT trustee,

Wellingtonian Richard Nelson.

“We are fortunate that Richard, an avid art collector and patron of the New Zealand Art Show, donated $12,000 so the NZAAT could establish these awards.

His generosity has enabled us to recognise and support creative emerging artists. It will help us build the relationship between the NZAAT and the School of Arts

faculties that we trust will lead to ongoing collaboration. In future years, the NZAAT intends seeking donations from individuals and organisations to ensure

these awards become an integral part of the New Zealand Art Show,” said Carla Russell.

This year’s New Zealand Art Show runs from Friday, 3 August to Sunday, 5 August in Wellington’s TSB Bank Arena on Queens Wharf.

ENDS

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