Opportunity Arts Visits Parliament

Location: Bowen House Exhibition Space, entrance on 84 Lambton Quay, Wellington
Opening hours: 6th November until 5th December. Gallery open Wednesday and Thursdays 10am-3pm

Opportunity Arts has assembled some of its favourite artists for this exciting showcase at Parliament's Bowen House gallery, hosted by Hon. Carmel Sepuloni.

These artists are self-taught, intuitive, visionary and raw. A diverse group who all display their own unique language and points of view, rather than following traditional conventions or responding to art trends.

The Opportunity Arts mission is to advocate alongside, empower, and provide practical support for artists of diverse backgrounds who can face barriers to participation in the arts; supporting them to develop individual, sustainable arts practices.

We work with talented and dedicated emerging artists, who for various reasons (for example, disability) require additional support to access opportunities that can increase their audience, profile, income, sense of pride and purpose.

We are passionate that with this mahi we can encourage social change and diversify the New Zealand contemporary art scene, giving a voice and platform to those who are often unheard and unseen within this community and wider society.

This exhibition also acts as a launch for our online shop (www.opportunityarts.org.nz/shop) where art lovers will have the opportunity to purchase works by motivated and talented artists - including those exhibiting at Parliament. Works that are bold and unselfconscious. Works that sometimes might be harder to find. These are some of the most unique, challenging and exciting artworks that New Zealand has to offer and the Opportunity Arts Shop will make it easier for art lovers to view and purchase them, enriching both the artist and the art lovers’ lives.

Director of Opportunity Arts, Eryn Gribble today said:

“With the talented and dedicated artists we’re working with at Opportunity Arts, we could well be sitting on a breakthrough story like Susan Te Kahurangi King’s - she’s an incredible NZ artist who stopped verbally communicating at age 4, taking to paper to communicate instead. Her art was brought to the world by chance - a well connected American artist Chris Byrne stumbled across one of her works on Facebook and has supported her to be recognised as a strong voice in the contemporary art scene today - both here in Aotearoa and around the world.”

“With that in mind, any of our exhibitions or showcases also come with a bit of a friendly (and warm) challenge, or call to action. We want to invite all NZ Art institutions, collectors, gallerists to visit. Come along with an open mind, be challenged by this work, be excited by it, and discover a new hidden gem!”

Artist Denise Dennehy says : “I love exhibiting. I just love it. It makes me feel warm inside and I sell artwork. Hopefully!”

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