£1000 SCHOLARSHIP

New Zealand Listener, Volume 19, Issue 473, 16 July 1948, Page 14

£1000 SCHOLARSHIP

Valuable New Art Award

aroused in The Listener office last week when an excited young painter rang to ask whether we had heard of the new travelling scholarship that had just been made available for New Zealand artists, and if so, had we any further information about it. Not having heard anything in particular, we were rather sceptical at first and suggested to our enquirer that perhaps he was thinking of the Carnegie scholarship which is being awarded this year by the Auckland Society of Arts. No, our artist friend said, this was something quite different. It was a new scholarship supposed to be worth £1,000. By this time we were sufficiently intrigued to make a few enquiries, and we soon discovered that the artist was right, and that this time rumour had not lied. There is a new scholarship of that value, and one is going to be awarded every year from now on. First of all The Listener spoke to Stewart Maclennan, Director of the National Art Gallery, and he referred us to R. J. Waghorn, Chairman of the Association of New Zealand Art Societies, which, he understood, was making the award. From Mr. Waghorn we learned that the first of these new scholarships will be granted by the association this year (applications close on September 1), that the total value of each scholarship is £1,000, paid out over two years, and that itis available to any man or woman artist of outstanding promise between the ages of 22 and 40. For Established Artists The purpose of the award, Mr. Waghorn said, was to give an artist who had already established himself in New Zealand the opportunity to visit art centres in other countries. One factor which had led to the award being made was a statement made by His Excellency the Governor-General, Sir Bernard Freyberg, V.C:, when opening a local art exhibition some months ago. Sir Bernard said then that it was a pity New Zealand artists did not have greater contact with modern European art. An article by the Wellington artist "Barc" which appeared in The Listener during 1945 and suggested the need for travelling art scholarships, was also said to have influenced the decision to make the award. The successful candidate would be able to choose which country he wanted to study in, Mr. Waghorn said, and no condition was laid down as to attendance at any particular art school, so that he need not attend an art school at all if he didn’t want to. As a safeguard, however, applicants had to giye clear evidence of a definite purpose in applying for the award, and a practical plan for achieving that purpose. Mr, Waghorn also said that the Association hoped to arrange that every few years the scholarship would be open to architects only, but that generally it would be granted to someone who had ( interest was

obtained a high standard of achievement in painting or sculpture (or both) and who was at the time of the award an artist of outstanding promise. The successful applicant would have to be a resident of New Zealand, and had to undertake to return to New Zealand for a period of at least two years after the completion of his studies abroad. He also had to provide evidence of steadiness of application and strength of character as well as of artistic sensitivity. As a further safeguard he would have to report to the Association on his progress every six months, enclosing two examples of recently finished work each time. The money would be paid at half-yearly intervals during the two years. _ How to Apply For this year’s award the application form’ should be sent to J. C. Schneider, Honorary Secretary to the Association of New Zealand Art Societies, 59 Sefton Street, Wellington, N.2., by September 1. Application forms could be obtained from: him. Candidates would have to submit with their applications three examples of their work and three drawings, together with two testimonials as to ability, purpose, and character. The judging would then be done by a selection committee nominated by members of all New Zealand art societies, and the committee would make its recommendation to the Association. The Association of New Zealand Art Societies was founded in 1931 with the aim of co-ordinating the work of art societies throughout the Dominion, and to arrange for work by artists in different centres to be sent around the country, especially to the smaller towns, Its first president was Dr. E. B. Gunson, of Auckland, and the current president is Miss G. Bisley, of Nelson. Since it was formed there have been differences of opinion as to the function and status of the Association and these differences have led to many of the provincial art societies breaking away from it. At the present time, therefore, the Association is not so fully representative of New Zealand art as its name might imply. Only the Auckland, Nelson and Hawke’s Bay societies have remained affiliated to it. In the past, however, the Association has done good work for New Zealand art, according to a former member. In 1936 it arranged for the collection of the Coronation. Exhibition of New Zealand art, which was sent to London and hung in the Royal Institute Gallery along with the work of the other Dominions. By its policy of sending exhibtions to provincial centres it had encouraged some of these centres to build their own art galleries, as had recently been done in Hamilton. Last year it had awarded a travelling scholarship worth £350 to the Auckland artist Clifford Murray, who is at present studying at the Royal Academy School in London. The only other art scholarship available in New Zealand at present is the Carnegie Travelling Scholarship, which is administered by the Auckland Society (continued on next page)

(continued from previous page) of Arts. Applications for this scholarship closed last month. It is valued at £250 sterling a year, for two years, and the conditions of its award are similar. to those of the £1,000 Association of New Zealand Art Societies

scholarship.

-Staff Reporter