Art Exhibitions To Feature On Parliament TV For 275 Days Of The Year

New Zealand becomes the first country in the world to showcase art 275 days a year on a parliamentary owned TV channel.

New Zealanders will be able to view artworks and exhibitions on their television sets for 275 days of the year thanks to a partnership with Urban Art Foundation- Ki Te Marama and Parliament TV.

Founded by award winning composer and sound designer Andrew Hagen in 2017, Urban Art Foundation (UAF) takes art not available to the public from the archives of museums, municipal art galleries, corporate and private collections, private audience art gallery exhibitions and digitally places it where people of all ages and walks of life can appreciate it.

For more than five years the UAF has worked in conjunction with artists, art and education experts, government and commercial gallery curators, private collectors, and outdoor media company oOh!media to present at least 9 exhibitions every year across New Zealand. The digital signs and TV Screens are located in shopping malls, on streets, at the Wellington Railway Station and International Airport.

The charitable trust has signed an exclusive agreement with the Clerk of the House, David Wilson, to show Urban Art Exhibitions on Parliament TV, Freeview 31, and Sky Channel 86 when the House is not sitting which equates to 275 days a year.

“This is a transformational change in the New Zealand art environment making art more accessible, breaking down the socioeconomic barriers, and making the expectation to view art a right of every Kiwi. Thanks to Urban Art Foundation and Parliament TV, New Zealand is the first country in the world where art can be viewed and enjoyed by every citizen, 24 hours a day for 275 days of the year,” says UAF Creator and Executive Producer, Andrew Hagen.

Generating over 6,600 hours of programming devoted entirely to sharing NZ art with every Kiwi, Art Exhibitions will be accompanied with music composed by New Zealand composers and will feature interviews with artists, curators, judges, and gallery directors.

Throughout the year, viewers will be able to enjoy a range of artworks exhibited in galleries nationwide from the comfort of their homes, including the Barry Hopkins Collection, Wellington City Council Art Collection, Melvin Day Centennial Exhibition, The 2023 Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award, the Parkin Drawing Prize, MFAT and National Library Exhibition, the Contemporary Art Awards, the Ringa Toi Student Awards (NZQA), as well as works from the Auckland Art Gallery, the Wellington Sculpture Trust and the Adam Art Collection (Courtesy of Victoria University).

Collections and Curatorial Manager for Waikato Museum Anita Robertson says the partnership has been a big drawcard for profiling their work.

“It has been wonderful to have a selection of the Waikato Museum Visual Arts Collection displayed on Parliament TV and working with the Urban Art Foundation. It is great to have national exposure for our collection and for people who wouldn’t have the opportunity to visit us see some of the gems in our collection.”

Francis McWhannell, curator of the Fletcher Trust Collection says they treasure their partnership with Urban Art Foundation.

“Our organisations share a mission of introducing new audiences to high-quality art from Aotearoa. The arTVox initiative was especially exciting, allowing the Fletcher Trust Collection to share many taonga that are ordinarily accessible to just a few people. While the presentation was running on Parliament TV, we received a great deal of positive feedback. Some viewers watched more attentively, while others treated the programme as a slideshow, leaving it to run in the background as they went about daily tasks.”

Hagen says the Urban Art Foundations' purpose to break down the perceived barriers to engaging with art which are socioeconomic status and perceived accessibility.

“New Zealand ratepayers own half a billion dollars’ worth of art. These precious works are collected, catalogued, and cared for by our council-owned collecting institutions. These museums, art galleries, archives and even libraries exhibit the works, when and where available space permits. Available local government figures show the collection consists of at least 173,269 pieces, worth more than half a billion dollars. But like many countries, a lack of exhibition space means only a token amount, around 7 percent, is able to be shown. We're proud to be changing that with our unique collaboration with oOh!media NZ, utilising their rapidly expanding digital network and now with Parliament TV, people can access art they usually might not have a chance to see in person from their own residence.”

Hagen says the Parliament TV announcement is a wonderful opportunity for New Zealanders to get exposure to art, and for artists and galleries to receive a profile as well.

“This partnership will bring New Zealand art to screens across the country, helping to make it more accessible than ever. A win-win for our arts sector.

We are completely humbled and delighted to have received approval from the Clerk of the House, Mr David Wilson to showcase these incredible exhibitions and artworks by our talented artists on Parliament TV.”

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