Scots College has some canny art deals

Scots College Art Auction

Work by some of the country’s most prestigious artists, including Michael Parekowhai, who is currently exhibiting at the Venice Biennale, go up for auction next Thursday at City Gallery Wellington

Art collectors and 40 of New Zealand’s leading contemporary artists have donated over 60 works to help raise funds for the school's new creative and performing arts centre, currently being built at Scots College.

The auction is part of a wider trend of schools to use art auctions as a way of raising additional funds for school buildings and other activities. In Auckland schools such as Baradene and Auckland Grammar have been running art auctions for more than twenty years and artists see these as an integral part of the arts scene.

“The support from the New Zealand art community has been quite extraordinary,” said Headmaster Graeme Yule. “When I look at the list of names I’m astounded, and very humbled. There’s everyone from Dick Frizzell to Don Binney and Bill Hammond, Joanna Braithwaite, Michael Parekowhai, Shane Cotton, Seraphine Pick, the list just goes on.”

”When we first began planning this state-of-the-art, 3-storey building to house music, drama, film, animation, 3D printing and design at the college, we really were dreaming big,” he said.

Aloysius Teh, a partner at Deloittes in Wellington who is also a parent and arts patron, is the key driver behind this fundraising art auction said of the project: “The fact that so many high-profile creative individuals and their dealers have so generously lent their support by donating artworks, and shared our vision for what a creative education can and could be in the future, is very exciting. Every artist’s name will feature on a classroom wall, and forever be an integral part of the fabric of this building.”

”Sir Richard Taylor and members of the Weta Workshop team have also advised on the design and technical fit-out of this facility. It’s certainly a huge incentive to provide a world-class creative education when you’ve got an internationally-renowned film industry on your doorstep here in Miramar, “says Mr Yule.

”Our hope is that this new building will provide both our students, and the wider community, with a cutting-edge creative space in which to learn and excel both at home
and internationally. Who knows what will be created within this building in the future – anything’s possible,” he said.

Aloysius Teh encouraged art lovers, enthusiasts and collectors to take a serious look at the catalogue of works featured in the auction. “It really is a rare thing to see such a fine line-up, and all proceeds go towards the building of what will become a creative incubator for the next generation of talented Kiwi artists here in Wellington.”

Exhibition Preview
All works will be on display at the City Gallery Wellington from Saturday
2 July – Thursday 7 July, 10am -5.00pm.

Online Auction
Buyers can also view and bid on the works at www.webbs.co.nz, from Tuesday 21 June onwards. Online bidding closes Thursday 7 July at 12pm midday.

Live Auction
The auction will be held at City Gallery Wellington, Thursday 7 July, 7.00pm.

Public Events : Sunday 3 July, 3-5pm
Scots College Yr 13 Art History students have been studying some of the artworks featured in the auction, and will hold an informal information and discussion session for friends, family and the public, to come and learn more about some of the works featured in the exhibition.

Artists included in the auction

Don Binney, Israel Birch, Joanna Braithwaite, Greg Broadmore, Benjamin Buchanan, Kushana Bush, Jonathan Campbell, David Cauchi, Shane Cotton, Maryrose Crook,
Tony de Lautour, Fran Dibble, Paul Dibble, Dick Frizzell, Rodney Fumpston, Jason Greig, Bill Hammond, Michael Harrison, Gavin Hipkins, Ralph Hotere, Simon Kaan, Gregor Kregar, Gerda Leenards, Sacha Lees, Peter Madden, Marion Maguire, Liz Maw, Andrew McLeod, Judy Millar, Roger Mortimer, Michael Parekowhai, John Shotton Parker,
Séraphine Pick, Martin Poppelwell, John Pule, Bevan Shaw, Michael Smither, Heather Straka, Terry Stringer, Zina Swanson, Grahame Sydney, Elizabeth Thomson, Paul Tobin, Francis Upritchard, John Ward Knox, Rohan Wealleans, Ben Webb, Ans Westra,
Brendon Wilkinson, Weta Workshop, Wayne Youle.