19 Nov 2009
Fiona Campbell, New Zealand’s youngest major arts philanthropist and
director of the Real Art Roadshow, has won the Supreme Award at the
12th National Business Review’s Sponsorship of the Arts Awards.
The Real Art Roadshow visits schools for free and comprises one of New
Zealand’s largest traveling art exhibitions. The exhibition is housed
in two huge trucks that each unfold to form two 78 square metre
‘galleries’. Each ‘gallery’ displays over 60 pieces of original art
by a cross-section of established and emerging New Zealand artists,
including Don Binney, Seung Yul Oh, Robyn Kahukiwa, Pat Hanly and
Fiona Pardington.
“It’s a huge honour to receive the Supreme Award and also great
recognition for the artists involved. I’d really like to thank the
National Business Review for acknowledging the work we’ve done so
far. With more sponsorship and corporate involvement the Real Art
Roadshow could do even more,” said Fiona Campbell.
The two collections of outstanding New Zealand art have toured over
200 secondary schools nationwide during 2008 and 2009 and were open to
the public during school holidays – with over 100,000 visitors in all.
Real Art Roadshow will continue touring for the next eight years.
“This is a visionary project not only in its inception but in the way
that it allows for other sponsors to become involved in a local,
regional or national capacity,” said NBR Arts writer and judge
convener, John Daly-Peoples.
A major part of the initiative is Real Art Roadshow: The Book which
tells how and why Fiona came up with the concept of the Real Art
Roadshow. With a foreword written by Hamish Keith, it contains full
colour plates of all works in the collection and is accompanied by
accessible, insightful essays. This is available for purchase on the
Real Art Roadshow website and at selected bookstores.
Fiona believes it is important that the Real Art Roadshow engages,
stimulates and inspires, teachers and students alike, as many students
in remote areas have never been to an art gallery.
“Access to real art adds a completely new dimension for many students
by giving them the opportunity to experience the scale of the works,
their colour, texture and detail,” said Fiona. “I’m incredibly
passionate about all young New Zealander’s seeing our great art.
School students are tomorrow’s artists, viewers and collectors,” she
said.
ENDS
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