NEWS RELEASE: 23 April 2015

NZ Art Show salutes cornerstone sponsor ASB Bank

This year’s NZ Art Show will be the 12^th consecutive show. At the preview event for the Show, held at the Museum Art Hotel in Wellington, the Show’s executive director Carla Russell commended the ASB Bank for their support.

ASB Bank is a platinum sponsor of the NZ Art Show and has been associated with the show since its inception in 2004.

“ASB has been our cornerstone sponsor since the Show’s inception in 2004 and without its support, we would have struggled to get off the ground,” says Carla Russell, NZ Art Show’s Executive Director. “ASB’s commitment has enabled the Show to evolve over the past 12 years, growing in size, reputation and quality to become the largest curated art exhibition in the country.

This year’s Show runs for three days from Friday 19 June in the Event Centre on Wellington’s Queens Wharf, with a Gala Evening opening on Thursday, 18 June.

“ASB has a strong history of fostering creative innovation in New Zealand,” says Mark Graham, ASB’s Head of Community and Sponsorship. “Since 2004 the NZ Art Show has brought together New Zealand’s best emerging and established artists to acknowledge their unique contribution to New Zealand’s identity and culture.”

“We are pleased to be working with the Show as it provides a valuable outlet for artists and with an attendance of over 11,000 last year, it’s great to see so many Kiwis being able to experience a wide range of New Zealand art.”

ENDS

For more information or an interview with the NZ Art Show’s executive director or ASB Bank’s Mark Graham, please contact:

About the NZ Art Show

The NZ Art Show makes it easy & affordable for any New Zealander to own a piece of original NZ art.

The NZ Art Show promotes a wide range of art covering all mediums with the aim of enabling all New Zealanders to own original art. At the same time, it has helped provide the means for emerging artists to become established and helped create a dynamic arts community for the public to discover new artists and start or add to their art collection.

At the core of the NZ Art Show operations is a three-day art event held each year in Wellington.

The annual NZ Art Show art is the largest curated art sale of its kind and each year exhibits around 3,000 original artworks by some 300 artists: the emphasis is on quality NZ art at affordable prices by emerging and established artists in a dynamic and stimulating environment. Over 11,000 visitors attended the 2014 Show, which was held from 25-27 July in the Events Centre on the Wellington waterfront. 

The annual event is complemented by an online art gallery located on the NZ Art Show website, artshow.co.nz, and features a range of styles, mediums and prices. Artworks can be purchased directly from the artists. The online gallery extends the reach of NZ art to a wider audience and provides a further outlet for artists.

Consistent with the aim of promoting a vibrant art community and helping NZ artists establish themselves, the NZ Art Show currently provides two arts awards:

NZ Art Show Emerging Artist Awards

• Four cash prizes of $2,500 each. The NZ Art Show Emerging Artist Awards are open to students studying visual art at degree and/or diploma level at a recognised tertiary art school in New Zealand.
• Schools are invited to nominate their most promising students.
• The winners will have their artworks exhibited at the NZ Art Show event in 2015

Signature Piece Art Award

• A cash prize of $3,000 awarded to an outstanding artwork chosen by the public.
• 10 finalists, chosen by the Show’s selection panel, are exhibited in the show’s Signature Piece Gallery at the NZ Art Show 2015 with the winner decided by public vote: all visitors to the Show can vote for their favourite.

The NZ Art Show’s vision is to encourage New Zealanders to celebrate NZ culture and identity through NZ art and to promote NZ artists by providing opportunities to further their development. As a not-for-profit organisation the NZ Art Show is a significant contributor to the NZ community with many people benefiting from its operations and activities: since its inception in 2004 some 96,000 people have enjoyed the art event, nearly $8 million has returned to artists via art sales and around $70,000 in art prizes awarded to artists.

The NZ Art Show receives no government funding. All the costs of running the Show, the online gallery and funding the Awards are covered by sponsorship, grants, art sales, admission and donations.