Joint media release: Auckland Botanic Gardens and the Friends of the Auckland Botanic Gardens

Exhibition sculptors announced

The Auckland Botanic Gardens and the Friends of the Auckland Botanic Gardens today proudly announced the line-up of sculptors for next year’s inaugural Sculpture in the Gardens exhibition.

Twenty seven of New Zealand’s most popular and up-and-coming artists have been chosen to produce a sculpture to exhibit at the Auckland Botanic Gardens during the sculpture exhibition, which runs from November 2007 to the end of January 2008.

The curatorial panel of Richard Cooper, Leo Jew and Alexa Johnston considered 83 proposals from 70 artists, selecting 27 designs they felt would be appropriate to the Botanic Gardens surroundings.

“We were extremely impressed by the number of proposals we received and by the calibre of the designs submitted,” says Alexa Johnston.

“Our selection is based on the entries’ appropriateness to Auckland’s outstanding botanic gardens. We have chosen works that will offer visitors a diverse and memorable experience of art in the outdoors,” she says.

Liz Powell, President of the Friends of the Auckland Botanic Gardens, says the Friends are delighted with the interest Sculpture in the Gardens has received so far.

“We have dreamed for some time now, of visitors admiring art works whilst wandering through the Auckland Botanic Gardens. We are thrilled that this vision will soon be a reality – it is wonderful to see such a talented group of artists show an interest in a project that means so much to the Friends,” she says.

Artists will receive $1000 from the Friends toward their installation costs and will vie for the McConnell Property Supreme Award, generously sponsored to the value of $25,000 by McConnell Property and the McConnell family – owners of South Auckland’s other well-known garden, Ayrlies.

The inaugural show will run for the summer months, from 4 November 2007 to 31 January 2008.

ARC Parks and Heritage Committee Chair Sandra Coney says the summer months currently bring around 200,000 visitors to the Gardens.

“We hope that Sculpture in the Gardens will offer many more Aucklanders the opportunity to see the work of some of our country’s best artists at their leisure and for free,” she says.

“Over the last few years we have noticed a change in the type of visitors that come to the Gardens. People are coming here for exercise and to relax with their families – as well as to look at the plants.”

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* To find out more about Sculpture in the Gardens go to www.aucklandbotanicgardens.co.nz

* To become a founding patron of Sculpture in the Gardens go to www.aucklandbotanicgardens.co.nz

Selected sculptors:

Tanya Ashken, Island Bay, Wellington
Bing Dawe, Hoon Hay, Christchurch
Paul Dibble, Palmerston North
Charlotte Fisher, Westmere, Auckland
Fiona Garlick, Ponsonby, Auckland
Christine Hellyar, Western Springs, Auckland
John Ioane, Laingholm, Auckland,
Barry Lett, Mt Eden, Auckland
Neil Miller, Glen Eden, Waitakere
Phil Neary, Otahuhu, Auckland
Terry Stringer, Warkworth
Llew Summers, Christchurch
Marte Szirmay, Mt Roskill, Auckland
Filipe Tohi, Onehunga, Auckland
Greer Twiss, Ponsonby, Auckland
Jim Wheeler, Onehunga, Auckland
Steve Woodward, Kingsland, Auckland
David Guerin, Havelock North
Virginia King, St Mary’s Bay, Auckland
Fred Graham, Waiuku
Matt Pine, Tangimoana
Jeff Thomson, Helensville
Peter Lange, Mt Eden, Auckland
Warren Viscoe, Ellerslie, Auckland
Chiara Corbelletto, Ponsonby, Auckland
David McCracken, Parnell, Auckland
Samantha Lisette, Laingholm, Auckland

ENDS

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