Shifting a school feels like shifting a planet into a new orbit. Okay, I exaggerate. Let’s just say ‘with difficulty.’

During January TLC’s main campus moved from Island Bay (the old Erskine College) to our Taita site which used to be the Soil Bureau (part of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research). Taita is about 20 minutes north-east of Wellington city and our address is 182 Eastern Hutt Road.
(more…)

Dymocks Book Shop in Lambton Quay gave royal treatment to “GO! The Art of Change”. Sue Lund was in the shop window for two weeks before Christmas (well, we let her out at night). Sue is painting the giant mural at TLC’s Taita campus and also featured in “GO!”.
(more…)

The Learning Connexion paid a visit to a group exhibition at DAF 106 gallery in Aro Street, Wellington. The show was organized by Menno Huibers (AKA Slim Chants) and featured musicians/artists from all over the country.
(more…)

Graduation is on Friday 27th March at TLC’s campus:
182 Eastern Hutt Rd, Taita from 7.00pm

All students who finished their stage during 2008 are eligible to graduate. NOTE: this is a change from previous years.

Please email reception@tlc.ac.nz or call 0800ARTPOWER to let us know if you will be attending to ensure your spot!

Media Release
17 February 2009

Inspiration for new artists to make their mark
A $5000 inspiration is being offered to new and emerging artists to make their mark by creating a signature piece for the New Zealand Affordable Art Show this year.

“The Signature Piece Art Award is a marvellous opportunity for artists just starting their careers to shine and be rewarded,” New Zealand Affordable Art Trust executive director Carla Russell said.

“A team of judges will select 10 finalists who will all achieve considerable profile from the public exposure of their work. The winner will receive $5000 to further his or her career.”

The 10 signature pieces will be displayed on a special panel at the show which will be held at the TSB Arena in Wellington and runs from July 31 to August 2 with a gala evening on July 30.

Artists who register between now and close of registration on May 1, can nominate one of their artworks to be judged for the award.

The Signature Piece Art Award is one of the ways in which the trust is returning profits from the shows to the artists. Last year the trust launched the New Zealand Affordable Art Trust Scholarship to recognise exceptional talent.

This will be the sixth year the show has been held. It first opened in 2004 after a group of art-loving Wellingtonians created an opportunity for artists from all round the country – new, emerging and established – to showcase and sell their work. Each year about 800 artists are selected to exhibit their works and about 9000 visitors attend.

The show has introduced affordable art priced between $100 and $5000 to New Zealanders with the result that sales over the past five years have returned over $2.7 million to the artists.

Artist registration has opened for the 2009 show on the www.affordableart.co.nz website. Forms are also available from the trust’s Beach House Gallery on Lyall Parade, Lyall Bay, Wellington.

Dear Student
As you are aware, TLC has now moved to its new Taita premises. This term we intend to have our exhibition here on campus, but unlike Erskine, there isn’t an awful lot of room to hang the works.

Therefore it has been decided that for at least this term, we will have to limit the number of pieces each student can submit to 2.

We are sorry if this causes any inconvenience to you and hope that in future we will be able to increase the number again.

Regards
EM Administration

Three Kings Congregational Church is hosting its first Visual Arts awards on the 9th of April 2009 and is inviting New Zealand artists to submit contemporary works in the disciplines of painting, sculpture, drawing, photography or short film expressing their personal response to Jesus’ question, “Who do you say I am?”

The winner will receive a prize of $300 (non-acquisitive). The entry fee is $5 (free for TKCC members) and each individual may only enter one piece.

For more information and a entry form, please contact Rachel Waters at rwaters@orcon.net.nz or call 0210 786 499.

Beginning next week there will be regular advisory sessions available at Toi Poneke via the Arts Programme Advisor. Briar Monro will be available for one to one meetings each Wednesday and Friday morning to discuss project development, career development and any other questions or issues you may have around developing your arts practice. You can book a session either by contacting Briar directly on 803-8399 or arts@wcc.govt.nz or by seeing Katherine at the Toi Poneke front desk.

Later in this year they also hope to offer group sessions around specific themes. To make sure you hear about these you can sign up to the monthly City Arts Panui by going to http://www.wellington.govt.nz/services/webalerts/subscribe.php

What makes us who we are? Show us what makes you unique! This could be your relationship with family, community, or friends, or could be the impact that your culture or spirituality has had on who you are today.

Art works can be made using any creative medium and the closing date is April 30th 2009.

Be it study, work or play; city or country; Whanau, friends, or community – all these factors make up the diverse ethnicity, culture and landscape of our country. Young artists should explore what helps to make up their identity of being a young person in New Zealand.

Selected art works will be exhibited and auctioned online throughout Youth Week. For more information and to download an entry form: http://youthline.co.nz/content/view/671/lang,english/

Back in 1996 I spent my first day at Erskine. It was f-f-f-f-f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g. I was crouched over a heater in Studio B, doing a stint as the TLC presence during the period when we were moving in.

It was a time of hope and desperation. A group of eight TLC supporters had thrown their collective life savings together in an effort to buy the site. We won the tender but the banks wouldn’t come to the party. In the end we lost our money. The owners allowed us to rent the premises but we were like squatters in a decaying castle. Pigeons were everywhere and their poo was steadily rotting the wood. The roof was full of holes. The plumbing didn’t work. Thrill seekers would break in during the night, hoping to find (or not find) ghosts.
(more…)