31 July 2004 Media Statement

Best of student art on tour

Education Minister Trevor Mallard today welcomed the arrival in the capital of Top Art, an exhibition of the best artwork from 2003 University Bursaries students.

Twenty-five of the top art folios in Design, Painting, Photography, Printmaking and Sculpture are on show at the Dowse Museum, Lower Hutt, until 3 August, when Top Art will continue its tour around the country.

"The Top Art exhibition is an example of the impressive artistic talent of young New Zealanders in secondary education today," Trevor Mallard said.

"These examples of excellence give a great deal back to the education system. They inspire excellence in others and are testament to the high quality of teaching on offer in our schools today.

"The arts have a vital place in education. An arts education is central to the development of innovative, creative, literate and critical-thinking New Zealanders."

Last year was the final year that students sat University Bursaries examinations. From 2004, students will be assessed against standards on the National Qualifications Framework and gain credits towards their NCEA qualifications. Some will also enter the New Zealand Scholarship qualification.

"The tradition of exhibiting this artwork will continue next year under the NCEA system. The work will be assessed in different ways against NCEA level 3 and New Zealand Scholarship standards, but I expect the level of excellence to remain as high as that we see today," Trevor Mallard said.

The Top Art Tour itinerary and list of artists is attached.

Top Art itinerary

31 July – 3 August Dowse
Lower Hutt

5 – 6 August Aratoi
Masterton

9 – 13 August New Plymouth
New Plymouth Girls’ High School

16 – 20 August Palmerston North
Te Manawa

23 – 27 August Tauranga
Tauranga Boys’ College

30 August – 3 September Hamilton
Waikato Museum of Art and History

7 – 9 September Rotorua
Western Heights High School

13 – 17 September Gisborne
Gisborne Girls’ High School

20 – 24 September Havelock North Community Centre

27 September – 1 October Whangarei - venue to be confirmed

4 – 15 October Auckland - venue to be confirmed

18 – 22 October Invercargill
Southland Museum and Art Gallery

The Artists

NZQA is grateful to the following students for making their folios available for the exhibition:

Bryn Baritompa Design Burnside High School
Sean Hudson Design Burnside High School
David Stevenson¤Design Burnside High School
Kieran Bullock Design Burnside High School
Julia Glenn Design Burnside High School
Sarah Rose Painting Epsom Girls’ Grammar School
Timothy Smith Painting St Andrew’s College
Noela Ward Painting Western Heights High School
Rachel Skeates Painting St Cuthbert’s College
Amy Picot Painting St Cuthbert’s College
Annabelle Ali Photography St Cuthbert’s College
Sarah Graham Photography ACG Senior College
Rosie Miamitti Baysting Photography Western Springs College
Louise Lever Photography Epsom Girls’ Grammar School
Vicky Harker Photography Wellington Girls’ College
Fiona Prohm Printmaking Epsom Girls’ Grammar School
Julia Glenn Printmaking Burnside High School
Leonie Schroeder Printmaking Burnside High School
Sophie Leuschke Printmaking Diocesan School for Girls
Lora Ward Printmaking Rangi Ruru Girls’ School
Laura Bathurst Sculpture Carmel College
Melissa Cowan Sculpture Nelson College for Girls
Andrea Grover Sculpture Rangiora High School
George McClelland Sculpture Howick College
Sarah Rose Sculpture Epsom Girls’ Grammar School

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