Art Supporters Supporting the Art Supporters

Art Supporters Supporting the Art Supporters

If you want to know how your donors like to be treated, you go straight to the source, and that is exactly what the NZ Art Show has done.

The NZ Art Show last week announced the formation of the Friends Committee, a group dedicated to instigating initiatives and activities to boost the show’s Friends programme and membership.

The committee comprises fifteen people currently serving as Friends, and they come from a variety of corporate and creative backgrounds.

The NZ Art Show, a not-for-profit organisation, produces an annual art event selling original and affordable New Zealand art and this will be its thirteenth year of operation. The show has grown to be the biggest and most popular of its kind, with around 10,000 people attending the annual event.

Despite its popularity, however, the show does not receive any public funding and is dependent on philanthropic contributions from individuals and organisations. The show’s Friends, who pay annual membership fees, are amongst those contributors.

The Friend’s programme has been integral to the growth of the NZ Art Show and the Friends Committee aims to reinforce the NZ Art Show experience for Friends by providing cultural and social opportunities outside of the show. Currently Friends receive preferential viewing and tickets to the NZ Art Show and an exclusive invitation to a cocktail party.

‘The Friends are like our life-blood; they’ve been supporting the show and its artists for 13 years and I wanted to demonstrate our gratitude in an appropriate way, ‘says Carla Russell, Executive Director of the NZ Art Show. ‘It is really important that we look after those that are philanthropic towards the arts, and with such a small team organising the NZ Art Show, I needed to come up with a creative way in which to enhance our friends programme. I consulted my colleague Jane Hart and from that conversation emerged the idea of a group dedicated to looking after Friends.’

‘Our Friends are passionate about having art and culture in their lives and supporting the arts community,’ says Carla, ‘ the meetings will be fun, will be about art and I’m confident that many great ideas will be explored – very exciting’.

Jane Hart, an advocate of the show since 2004 and a Friend of the show for the last eight years, is the Chair of the committee and is bursting with confidence

‘The knowledge that the NZ Art Show is committed to looking after its Friends is truly gratifying. I’m proud to support an organisation that cares about its supporters, ‘says Jane.

‘We have a great team, brimming with ideas, and we’re planning some great events. Currently, there are some standard benefits in place for Friends, and Carla Russell and her team have done a great job looking after the Friends. But, now we have an opportunity to reward our Friends in other ways.’

The first event takes place on May 4th at Wellington’s Prefab Hall.

The friends committee are: Jane Hart (Chair), Amy Allen, Ann Cunninghame, Bronwyn Kelly, Carla Russell, Damian Hannah, Diane Reid, Frances Russell, Gina Treadwell, Joan Wells, Jo Hughes, Kim Whale, Lisa Elder, Marion Duff and Patrick Sharp.

More information about the Friends Committee can be found on the NZ Art Show website here: http://artshow.co.nz/IN+SHORT+3+What+Are+Friends+For

Anyone wishing to take advantage of the Friends benefits by signing up as a Friend can do so here: http://artshow.co.nz/SUPPORT+US/Become+A+Friend?src=btn

ENDS

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