Studio space plan for artists

Press, 19 August 1983, Page 5

Studio space plan for artists

Christchurch artists may have the use of studio space paid for by the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council if a suggestion made at the council’s meeting in Christchurch yesterday is adopted.

Council members met with Christchurch’s visual artists, who singled out a lack of adequate studio space in which to work as a serious problem.

“At the School of Fine Arts at the University, they have the best of facilities, but when they leave many find they have to work at home under inadequate circumstances,” said the council’s chairman, Sir Michael Fowler, after the meeting.

Space in the Peterborough Centre had been suggested as . suitable for studios, he said. The Arts Council and the Southern Regional Arts Council could provide the space for artists.

“Ideally they can then build up a stock of works to sell, and people can visit the studio,” said Sir Michael. The council met many arts and crafts groups during its two-day meeting, and also visited the Christchurch Town Hall and Arts Centre.

It was six years since the council had met in Christchurch, and it gave it a chance to see what was happening in the city, said the council’s director, Dr Michael Volkerling.

Sponsorship

The council has appointed a sponsorship development officer, Ms Jan Churchman, who will begin her duties on Monday. The post would establish a data base of companies and individuals who would be willing to sponsor arts events, said Sir Michael.

The council hoped to encourage more private sector sponsorship of the arts and to align promotion with the tourist industry, said Sir Michael.

He and Dr Volkerling would meet Mr Neil Plimmer of the Tourism and Publicity Department to discuss promoting New Zealand’s culture, as well as ski-ing and fishing. New Zealand had a lot to offer the tourist culturally, he said. The council was aware of its promotion responsibility in that area. Budget Previously the council has worked on a financial year from April to March. This has meant that often its own allocation from the public moneys and the Lottery Board has not been until June or July. The regional councils, in turn, have not been notified of their grants from the council until late in the year.

The council had had discussions with the Minister for the Arts, Mr Highet, to determine a budget at the

end of 1983. This would allow grants to the regional councils and groups to be made early next year. The 1983 budget was $5.8 million; 60 per cent of which came from the Government vote, 40 per cent from the Lottery Board.

The Arts Council had done “quite well” with this year’s grants, said Dr Volkerling. There had been no dramatic withdrawals of grants or closings, he said. The Southern Regional Arts Council grant had increased by 30 per cent. Sydney Biennale Colin McCahon will be one of the one-man exhibitors at the Sydney Biennale in May. Mr McCahon had been invited to exhibit recent work at the Biennale, said Sir Michael. Ralph Hotere, of Dunedin, had been invited to exhibit at the Biennale also, as part of a group exhibition, Preyiously, many artists had exhibited but on the advice of the biennale director, the Arts Council would assist those two artists to display several works. Mr McCahon would show 20 paintings, he said. He had also been invited to exhibit in Australian state galleries in 1985 and 1986. Performing arts A Performing Arts Conference is planned for mid--1984 for artists and administrators in the arts.