Overview

Artspace and Arts NSW are pleased to announce the ten finalists for the 2016 NSW Visual Arts Fellowship (Emerging): Tully Arnot, Cigdem Aydemir, Frances Barrett, Tim Bruniges, Consuelo Cavaniglia, Julian Day, James Nguyen, Giselle Stanborough, Angela Tiatia and Adri Valery Wens.

Valued at $30,000, this Fellowship is offered by the NSW Government through Arts NSW to enable a visual artist at the beginning of their career to undertake a self-directed program of professional development. With a 100-year history, the Fellowship is a key exhibition for profiling the dynamism and breadth of emerging contemporary artistic practice in NSW. Held annually at Artspace since 1997, it continues to define new generations of contemporary art practice for both artists and audiences.

Each year Arts NSW convenes an independent judging panel of esteemed colleagues to determine the finalists, whom Artspace acknowledges for engaging with insight and passion in assessing what was again a highly competitive round of proposals.

Artspace Executive Director Alexie Glass-Kantor and Curator Talia Linz will undertake a series of studio visits with each of the artists as part of three months of curatorial development leading up to the exhibition. Of the ten finalists one artist will be awarded the Fellowship on the opening night of the exhibition, Tuesday 8 November, 2016.

Alexie Glass-Kantor says, “This Fellowship is one of the most exciting platforms foregrounding contemporary art practice in New South Wales: an annual celebration of our vibrant and diverse artistic community and a highly anticipated and well-attended event in Artspace’s program. Artspace thanks the external judging panel for identifying this year’s extraordinary group of artists. I have had the pleasure of collaborating on this exhibition since 2014 and my co-curator Talia Linz and I look forward to getting to know these artists and their practices while curating this iteration. Artspace and Arts NSW share a commitment to supporting generations of emerging artists and we are thrilled that we can continue to work together to present this important award.”

Arts NSW Acting Executive Director, Michael Brealey, said that helping to improve the skills of emerging artists is a key focus of the NSW Government’s Create in NSW framework that guides strategy, investment and partnerships to grow a thriving arts and cultural sector, “This Fellowship is part of the NSW Government’s commitment to support the professional development of artists in NSW at the beginning of their careers. The winning applicant will undertake a self-directed program of professional development which could include overseas travel, residency at an institution, study, research or undertaking an internship with an organisation. The NSW Government also provides funding to Artspace to manage and develop the Fellowship and exhibit the shortlisted applicants’ works, so that these emerging talents will also benefit from professional support and gain recognition for their work.”

2016 NSW Visual Arts Fellowship (Emerging)
Exhibition opens | Tuesday 8 November
Exhibition dates | 8 November – 10 December, 2016