The wisdom of dishing out ratepayer funds to support a new
art exhibition which might be in competition with the
independently funded Blossom Festival arts exhibition was
debated this week.
The Central Otago District Arts Trust asked the Vincent
Community Board for a grant to help stage the inaugural
Central Otago Art Awards.
Trust co-ordinator Maxine Williams said the top entries in
the competition, open to all New Zealand artists, would be
displayed at Central Stories' Russell Henderson Art Gallery
from September 8 to October 26.
"With your help, we envisage embarking on a multifaceted
campaign that will firmly put Alexandra on the cultural map,
nationwide and worldwide," she said.
The awards would carry a top prize of $5000, the top Central
Otago entry would receive $2000 and the people's choice
winner would win $1000.
"We're hoping it will be a new and savvy exhibition, a
nationwide contemporary art awards," Ms Williams said.
Businesses were also being asked for sponsorship and the
event would enhance the Blossom Festival.
Board member Martin McPherson said it would make sense to
work in with the Central Otago Arts Society, which staged an
art exhibition during the Blossom Festival.
"They've been doing that for 25 years without any ratepayer
funding," Mr McPherson said.
"Aren't we running the risk of being seen to be promoting
something [the new exhibition] that could be seen as
elitist?"
The Central Otago District Council already provided $37,000
in funding for the trust.
Board member Tim Cadogan said he would feel more comfortable
supporting the new exhibition if he knew the arts society,
which operated without ratepayer funds, also supported such
an event.
"I don't want to shaft the arts society and I'm very worried
about that clash between the two events, regardless of
whether one is slightly flasher than the other."
Graeme Bell believed the two events would complement each
other and said the new exhibition would be an extra
attraction, bringing more people in to view the festival arts
display.
The board agreed to give the trust $4000 for the new venture.
Promote Dunstan will be given $10,000 to organise events next
year marking the 150th anniversary of gold being discovered
in the district. The board noted a contestable fund of
$200,000 had been made available by the Central Lakes Trust
for the same purpose.
Terrace Distributors will receive $2245, half the cost of of
placing Alexandra images on one of its fleet of vehicles. The
company already has Central Otago images on the sides of its
truck and trailer units and has covered the costs itself in
the past.
Board members agreed the vehicles were a "mobile billboard"
for the district, and the company received no direct benefit
from placing the images on its vehicles.
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