17 Apr 2012
Auckland's Ane Tonga is the fifth recipient of the Blumhardt Foundation's Curatorial Internship funded by Creative New Zealand.
A legacy of New Zealand potter Dame Doreen Blumhardt's commitment to arts education, the internship provides a rare opportunity for an aspiring curator to develop their skills alongside professional museum staff, in a contemporary gallery setting. Ane will begin work part-time at The Dowse in May, under the mentorship of Senior Curator, Emma Bugden.
Ane's interest is in the distinction between decorative arts and contemporary art, questioning the value of the object; the basis for her potential exhibition at The Dowse – and her drive to pursue curatorial and public planning roles.
"I am really excited about moving to Wellington and working with The Dowse," says Ane. "My project, while very early in its inception, will investigate taking objects beyond the purely aesthetic; and exploring the intangible values embedded in them."
Ane at 23-years-old is a recent graduate of Auckland University's Elam School of Fine Arts. She is proud to have fulfilled her Tongan-born parents' dream of their children pursuing higher education opportunities in New Zealand.
For three years while studying, Ane worked as a Tuakana Mentor for Maori and Pacific students at Elam. She currently works as Deputy Supervisor at the TSB Wallace Arts Centre, and previously at FHE Galleries.
"We are delighted to welcome Ane to our family of Blumhardt interns," says Kaye McKinley, Chair of the Blumhardt Foundation.
"As previous winners have demonstrated, the internship is a valuable opportunity for career development in the competitive and highly specialised curatorial field."
The 2011 Blumhardt intern was Lily Hacking, now curator of the Hirschfeld Gallery at City Gallery Wellington. Lily's exhibition A View From Where I was Sleeping runs until 22 July at The Dowse. It features works made in collaboration, often forged from friendships between artists.
The Dowse Art Museum, 45 Laings Rd, Lower Hutt, www.dowse.org.nz www.facebook.com/thedowseartmuseum
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