107 submissions for Waiheke outdoor exhibition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

headland Sculpture on the Gulf receives 107 submissions from throughout New Zealand for 2009 outdoor exhibition on Waiheke Island

WAIHEKE ISLAND 21 May 2008 – headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF, New Zealand’s premier outdoor sculpture exhibition, has received 107 submissions from sculptors throughout the country, as the deadline for entries passed for the upcoming 2009 exhibition.

The event is held every two years on Waiheke Island, with art works installed over two kilometres of the magnificent Matiatia-Church Bay walkway. The 2009 exhibition will feature up to 30 sculptures and will run for three weeks from 23 January to 15 February 2009.

According to Dilys Grant, Project Director, headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF, the substantial number of quality submissions underscores the importance of the event nationally to New Zealand’s sculptor community.

“The 107 submissions are of very high quality and the three selectors will have their work cut out as they decide on the final works that New Zealanders will see installed on Waiheke Island in January next year.”

In headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF, the artistic brief calls for art works that respond to the site.

“A large number of the submissions clearly reflect a deliberate effort on behalf of the artists to propose works that respond to the unique coastal location that headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF offers” she says.

Many of the submissions are from artists with a serious history of exhibiting in a national context, including the Brick Bay permanent sculpture park in Matakana, the ShapeShifter exhibitions in Wellington, and the Gows’ collection at Connells Bay, Waiheke Island. There are also a large number of submissions from previous exhibitors at headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF.

Dilys Grant says, “Nevertheless, it is also encouraging that approximately half the submissions come from artists who have not entered headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF previously, reflecting a deliberate policy to both broaden the event’s appeal nationally and reach out to young and upcoming sculptors.”

This year, one third of the submissions come from South Island artists.

headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF has played a significant role in growing the contemporary sculpture scene in New Zealand. The inaugural event, held in the summer of 2003, was one of the first outdoor contemporary sculpture exhibitions to take place in the country.

“Since then, the market for privately commissioned contemporary sculpture has grown, with many previous exhibitors leveraging their success at headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF to further build their careers - today they are working on lucrative commissions,” she says.

“Most importantly however, headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF has delighted and educated a public hungry for such innovative and accessible art forms.”

The three selectors for the 2009 exhibition are Jenny Harper, Director, Christchurch Art Gallery; Helen Kedgley, Senior Curator of Contemporary Art, Pataka Museum and Art Gallery, Porirua; and Justin Paton, Senior Curator, Christchurch Art Gallery.

The selectors will be making their decision in May, and the successful artists will be announced on 17 June.

About headland Sculpture on the Gulf
headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF is New Zealand’s premier outdoor sculpture exhibition, held every two years to showcase the country’s leading sculptors. The event takes place on the magnificent two kilometre Matiatia–Church Bay coastal walkway, a public track administered by Auckland City, located at the western tip of Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf. The exhibition is a not-for-profit event and is free to the public.
In 2009, headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF will be held over a three week period from 23 January to 15 February 2009, and will feature up to 30 art works. During the previous event in 2007, more than 20,000 people visited the exhibition.
First held in 2003, headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF arose from a desire to host a sculptural event outside gallery walls in a way that would acknowledge, embrace and enhance the stunning coastal scenery of Waiheke Island.
Consequently, one of the main criteria for the selection of works is their appropriateness to the site; how they fit into the landscape; and what visual and physical connection as well as interaction they have with the environment.
Placing the works and the public under the sky, beside the sea, in valleys and on headlands creates a unique opportunity to experience thought-provoking and innovative works for sale by New Zealand’s leading sculptors in a stunning location.
More information on headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF is available at www.sculptureonthegulf.co.nz

ENDS

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