9th March 2010

MEDIA RELEASE

The Word Witch Finalist in the New Zealand Post Book Awards

The Word Witch (available from the Gallery for $45.00) beautifully illustrated by Ashburton born author and illustrator David Elliot has been nominated as a Finalist in the Picture Book section of the New Zealand Post Book Awards.

The New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards are presented annually, each May, to promote excellence in children's literature and provide recognition and reward for authors and illustrators of high quality New Zealand books for children and teenagers.

The Word Witch was selected as a finalist from more than 130 children’s books published in New Zealand in 2009 and submitted for the Awards.

Mrs Tisdall, a children’s literature consultant, is joined on the judging panel by writer and reviewer Trevor Agnew, and former journalist, now children’s bookshop co-owner, Ruth McIntyre. Together they will decide which book will take the New Zealand Post Children’s Book of the Year prize and will choose winners from across the four categories: Picture Book, Non-fiction, Junior Fiction and Young Adult Fiction. Winners will be announced on Wednesday 19 May.

PICTURE BOOK FINALIST: The Word Witch Margaret Mahy, David Elliot, edited by Tessa Duder, Harper Collins Publishers. The Word Witch can lasso with a limerick, haunt with a haiku and wrap you tight in a rhyme as quick as lightning. Her cauldron is a dictionary, her wand a mighty pen, and she stirs her words at midnight, making tempting treats for children. Her name is Margaret Mahy and these are her spells.

www.davidelliot.org

20th October 2009

MEDIA RELEASE

Sweet As!

South Island ceramic artists were the big winners in this year’s Portage Ceramic Awards, with Jim Cooper and Madeleine Child and Phillip Jarvis taking away the top award. The internationally selected judge Scott Chamberlain, Professor of Ceramics at Colorado University and successful exhibiting ceramicist, praised the work of Child and Jarvis as “...creepy, peculiar, and also possessing a stunning beauty much like some of the natural occurrence it is inspired by.” It is interesting to note that Chamberlain expresses concern for the medium of ceramics in New Zealand stating “Be activist artists; engage in critical discourse and get rid of the concept that seems to exist in New Zealand that ceramics is a slightly insignificant art genre.” It is therefore, perhaps no coincidence that the winning artists have graduated from or have an association with the Otago School of Art which has maintained a dedicated ceramics course for many years. Madeleine Child studied at London’s Royal College of Art and has an established reputation nationally and internationally. Her exhibition “Sweet As” taking place as part of the Ashburton Art Gallery’s 2010 programme presents an investigation into issues associated with food politics – hundreds of sculpted sugar (glass) coated popcorn, cheezels, (cast glass) gum snakes and liquorice allsorts. The first cluster of popcorn was made working directly from a packet of popcorn with each modelled from the “real”, while those that followed became larger and more exaggerated in form. The exhibition is designed to be a sensory experience offering multiple readings from childish delight to the more sickly consideration of calorie counting, globalisation, food miles and corn wars – comfort food causing discomfort. The Portage Art Awards exhibition of works may be viewed at the Lopdell House Gallery in Titirangi from the 16th October – 6th December 2009. Images of the winning works can be viewed at www.thebigidea.co.nz. For further information on the Gallery’s 2010 programme of exhibitions and events, please contact the Ashburton Art Gallery.

19th February 2009

MEDIA RELEASE

People & Art

For as long as there have been people on Earth, they have been making art. Our earliest examples can be found in rock drawings which we as New Zealanders are fortunate to have the opportunity to view in sites around our country by some of our earliest inhabitants. Why did people make these drawings – much like today communication was a primary consideration in the creation of such marks. Art has been used for centuries, and still is, as a tool to communicate with the masses.

Organised religion has always been aware of the power of art to communicate with and uplift people, hence the church being a well recognised, major patron of fine art – many of these collections are available for public viewing today and it is largely the transition made from collections held privately – by the church, royalty and the aristocracy – being made accessible, that saw the beginnings of what we now take for granted as public art galleries and museums.

There are certainly many misconceptions about art and one must remember that these misconceptions arise most commonly from a lack of information. In New Zealand art education in our schools only really began its development in the 1970s. Art history has, for years, been only available as a choice of subject for students; therefore many have historically completed their high school education with little knowledge of our visual culture now and throughout history. This lack of information commonly sees art “pigeon holed” rather than presenting an accurate account of the huge impact and power art has asserted on our culture.

There are, for example, huge misconceptions about what are now refereed to as the “Old Masters” many of whom were very savvy business people who operated large workshops of apprentices who completed works on their behalf and who, like Rembrandt, made a good living making fashionable works that the people wanted. These artists saw themselves as trades’ people and would find the modern idea of artists working on the fringes of society as completely foreign.

The truth of the matter is that art, artists and the way that people choose to engage with the arts differs from person to person, but what we do know from national surveys is that “93% of New Zealand adults take part in an average of 5 different types of arts activities over a year”. (Reference: Arts Every Day: A Survey of Arts Participation by New Zealand Adults.)

12th February 2009

MEDIA RELEASE

Visual Language

“Love Me Tender” is the first of the Ashburton Art Gallery’s Local Collection Series. The Gallery has been working with local collector John Lobb to facilitate the exhibition of his extensive Elvis Presley memorabilia collection. The Gallery has been on the look out in the community for people who have unusual and interesting collections that they may wish to share with others through an exhibition. The collection features everything from Elvis clocks plates and posters to a camera which superimposes Elvis’s image into each shot.

The Gallery’s new employee, Lyndal Lane is charged with the responsibility of coordinating outreach activities which run alongside the Gallery’s exhibition programme. The “Love Me Tender” opening taking place this Saturday at 1.30pm, therefore, is exceptional in its community outreach and is supported by the Ashburton Rock’n’Roll Club who will be performing and the Americar Rod & Custom Club who will be displaying their cars outside the front of the building.

Many have commented on the Gallery’s programme for the 2009 year questioning whether such shows are strictly defined as art. The role of a public art gallery is to serve its community through an exciting and innovative programme which challenges perceptions and conventions, the beauty of a public art gallery is that there are no rules in respect to content – art is so much part of our everyday lives that one so often forgets that someone designed the coke bottle we had with lunch or the pair of shoes we choose to put on in the morning.

Art is about visual language and is, in many ways, so integrated into our way of life that we forget how strong it actually is in influencing choices that we make on a daily basis. Art is a powerful vehicle that has been used throughout history to influence and mobilise populations. The upcoming exhibition at the Gallery “Towards the Precipice: Propaganda Posters Collected by WB Sutch” further reinforces this idea as it explores the way in which Governments have used visual language/images to influence our behaviour.

When thinking about art and saying “it’s not for me”, consider whether you own an ipod, a pair of Nikes or a sports car. These are just a few examples of design and clever marketing which aims to integrate concept (a way of making you feel a certain way), with function. While many would say we don’t really need these things and that they are luxuries, we continue to pursue objects of desire which make us feel and look a certain way – over function.

A recent study found that when choosing an MP3 player, the majority of people choose by the way the player looks and amazingly only one punter in the study actually wanted to listen to the player to assess sound quality. The overwhelming response was based on how the player looked and how it made people feel. So next time you think art has nothing to do with your life, ask yourself who designed your house, your furniture, your car, your clothing, your jewellery etc.

5th January 2009

MEDIA RELEASE

Ashburton Art Gallery to open 7 days

Gallery to open seven days The Ashburton Art Gallery has recently employed a new staff member. Lyndal Lane is the Gallery’s Technician and Publicity Officer. Like any regional Gallery staffing is a difficult area as it requires team members to be multi skilled and adaptable. Lyndal is, in summary, involved with staffing the Gallery, liaising with individuals and organisations in the community, promoting the Gallery’s activities and installing equipment and exhibitions. The Gallery has been looking into the possibility of opening seven days a week for some time.

Feedback from community members and visitors to the Gallery has indicated the desire for the Gallery to extend its current hours. There have been a number of factors that have made this course of action prohibitive: a lack of staffing hours, and restricted access to the front door which must be accessed through the Ashburton Museum. Having employed a new staff member, however, we feel that now is the time to implement new opening hours. Although the difficulty of access still remains, the Gallery will be increasing signage and will provide access via the rear of the building until a better solution can be found.

As of Saturday 6th December the Ashburton Art Gallery will be open seven days a week from 10am-4pm, with a late night provided on a Wednesday until 7pm. The Gallery has two new shows on offer over the Christmas break: Joanna Margaret Paul’s drawings and our Summer Pottery Show (Cash and Carry). The Summer Pottery Show offers the opportunity for visitors to purchase original ceramic works by Canterbury artists which may be taken away for Christmas gifts for friends and loved ones. There are artworks by 16 potters representing a diverse range of styles available for purchase.

The Joanna Margaret Paul exhibition tilted “Subjects to Hand” is a selection of the works found in the artist’s studio following her accidental death in 2003. Joanna Margaret Paul is well known as an artist who drew and painted ordinary things. “Things always have a lot to say to me,” Paul once said “so I like to think they have something to say through me.” Her work captures the immediacy of a moment, the fleeting nature of a passing moment quickly executed in pencil on paper. Both exhibitions are well worth a visit over Summer.