Auckland’s newest Waterfront initiative a team effort

Embargo Friday 17 October 9:00am

Waterfront Auckland and the Arts Foundation’s crowdfunding website, Boosted, are working together to present a series of temporary installations at a range of 'unmined areas' on the Auckland Waterfront.

The new initiative is set to transform the city’s waterfront this summer and in the process, provide a tangible illustration of the value of crowdfunding.

The programme, entitled Tidelines, will take place in the Wynyard Quarter on the Auckland waterfront from later this month, and will feature the work of six hand-picked New Zealand artists.

The series of installations are the product of collaboration between Waterfront Auckland and Boosted, on behalf of the Arts Foundation, that supports Waterfront Auckland’s goals of creating authentic waterfront spaces for people and celebrating design excellence while also providing a high profile space for young and upcoming artists to exhibit their work to a wider market. Curator Jaenine Parkinson has selected the artists to be featured, in collaboration with Arts Foundation Laureate, Megan Wraight, who was one of the lead designers responsible for the transformation of the Wynyard Quarter from a former industrial space to vibrant public spaces inspired by the areas working waterfront heritage.

Parkinson says, "We sought out local artists creating captivating work that we knew could engage with the stories, issues, people and environment of the waterfront. With projects lasting from one day to many weeks using materials as diverse as ice and paint Tidelines will reward the curious who seek out or stumble upon these artworks as they surface."

Wynyard Quarter has won a number of national and international accolades, including most recently The Rosa Barba International Landscape Prize at the International Biennial of Landscape Architecture at Barcelona last month.

Wraight has advised artists on the history of the area and is providing valuable guidance on where the works can be presented, “This is a very unique location that is perfectly positioned to showcase a variety of art works. We’re very excited about the programme and can’t wait for it to come to life”.

To fund the programme Waterfront Auckland has generously offered each artist a $600 ‘match donation’ in order to create their work. Artists will then enlist the support of Boosted, the Arts Foundation of New Zealand’s arts fundraising platform, to match the donation through crowdfunding.

Waterfront Auckland’s Place Manager Frith Walker says it’s delighted to host the Tidelines programme this summer. “The Tidelines initiative is a perfect complement to our place programme that activates the area and taps into that sense of curiosity and discovery that we want visitors to Wynyard Quarter to experience.”

“We’re also delighted to be able to support a community outreach initiative that empowers artists with the funding aspects of their industry that will ensure they can go on creating works that can delight more people in the future. ”Boosted Manager, Mark Michel says, "Matched donations allow funders to extend the reach of their support by asking artists to also activate their own networks. The relationship with Waterfront Auckland presents artists with valuable financial support, while also extending their work to a wider audience.”

Matched funding is relatively new in New Zealand with Boosted being the first crowdfunding platform to launch the functionality, “These partnerships represent an excellent opportunity for artists and organisations alike to share in their ambitions and extend the work of artists to an increasingly engaged audience" says Michel.

Artists with work featured in the Tidelines programme include Brydee Rood, Elliot Collins, Kelsey Stankovich, John Vea, Veronica Herber, and Dieneke Jansen.

Collins, Vea and Stankovich will be launching their Boosted projects online tonight following a launch event at Silo Park. Members of the public are encouraged to donate to complete the funding of the Tidelines programme. Waterfront Auckland will match all donations dollar for dollar up to a $600 commitment per project.

Announcement of the partnership with Waterfront Auckland comes just one week after the Arts Foundation announced Westpac as their new Major Sponsor.

www.boosted.org.nz
www.thearts.co.nz
www.waterfrontauckland.co.nz

Artist Project links on Boosted:
Elliot Collins (http://www.boosted.org.nz/projects/my-heart-is-an-anchor)
John Vea (http://www.boosted.org.nz/projects/cultivate )
Kelsey Stankovich (http://www.boosted.org.nz/projects/enigmatic-art-objects)

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