2013 Prisoner Art Auction To Benefit Youth Alive Trust

For immediate release Tuesday 6 August 2013

2013 Prisoner Art Auction To Benefit Youth Alive Trust

Prisoners from Canterbury’s three prisons and community-based offenders are busy creating artwork for this year’s art auction, with all funds raised going to Christchurch’s Youth Alive Trust.

The auction will be held on Friday 18 October at the Youth Alive premises in New Brighton.

Ian Bourke, Southern Regional Commissioner, Corrections Services said more than 130 pieces of art have been submitted for the auction by prisoners and community-based offenders.

“The quality of the work is outstanding and includes paintings, wood carvings, bone carvings, soap art and flax weaving.

“Many of the submissions are from prisoners who participate in prison arts programmes. The programmes re-introduce prisoners to learning in a positive and non-threatening way. This also helps with their rehabilitation and supports our goal of reducing re-offending by 25 per cent by 2015,” he said.

Most of the pieces have been created by prisoners in Canterbury, with some artwork received from prisons and offenders in other parts of the country.

The theme for this year’s auction is ‘Manaaki Mai Manaaki Atu’ (Care for our land, care for our people, go forward).

Mr Bourke said prisoners and offenders saw the art auction as an opportunity to give something back to the community.

“Youth Alive Trust was chosen to receive the proceeds from the auction because of the work it does with young people in the city’s east. The Trust is making a positive difference by building a future for young people and their families in an area that was hit hard during the earthquakes,” he said.

Last year’s Canterbury prisoner art auction raised $21,000 for the Earthquake Mayoral Fund.

“I encourage anyone with an interest in art to attend this year’s auction, as it is a chance to collect some interesting and one-off pieces,” Mr Bourke said.

Artworks can be viewed from 12:30pm on Friday 18 October ahead of the official opening at 6pm. There will be silent auctions as well as the public auction.

Event details
What: Prisoner Art Auction
When: Friday 18 October. Viewing from 12:30pm. Official opening at 6pm.
Where: Youth Alive premises, Grace Vineyard: Beach Campus, 111 Seaview Road, New Brighton, Christchurch. For more information about Youth Alive Trust visit www.yat.org.nz

ENDS

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