Ākonga play curator to some of Nelson’s local artists.

Ākonga play curator to some of Nelson’s local artists.

This semester, level 6 ākonga from the Bachelor of Arts and Media have taken on the role of curator to plan and present a series of exhibitions featuring work by local artists.
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A student ensures the installation is level for the first exhibition, 'Connectedness' by Emma Marie.

Presented at the g_space gallery at NMIT over four consecutive weeks, the exhibitions have introduced ākonga to the behind-the-scenes action of the arts industry.

David James, tutor of the Professional Practice Project course, says that it is an opportunity for ākonga to work together and implement the multiple tasks associated with the role of a curator.

“Students come to appreciate the amount of work, professionalism and importance of the curatorial role and gallery space,” said David.

“It really helps them to prepare themselves to negotiate this work in their own professional practice.”

One student, Eva Vogt Kerer, is showcasing the fourth exhibition with two other students. 'Calling', an interactive exhibition that consists of a series of sculptures by artist Nicholas Duval-Smith, will be on display from 3-8 November.

Eva, a part-time, mature student, chose to study at NMIT because of the programme’s(external link) flexibility. As a mother of three, she was unable to commit to full-time study and has chosen to spread her study out over four years.

“Part-time study makes it more enjoyable,” she said. “It is not super stressful, and you can choose how much you want to do week-by-week.”

She has found the facilities at NMIT to be fantastic, where her work is primarily focused on jewellery or ‘wearable objects’.

The upcoming exhibitions at g_space gallery happen to coincide with Night Vision(external link), a one-night extravaganza on 20 October to celebrate art after dark which kicks off the Nelson Arts Festival.

The second exhibition installment will remain open until 9pm for viewers to enjoy as part of the trail across Nelson with other galleries that are open for the evening.

From 13 October, the first exhibition titled ‘Connectedness’ by Emma Marie is on display. This is followed by Emma Panting’s ‘Troupe’ from 20 October. The third exhibition ‘Fragmentary’ by Joseph Papps begins 27 October and finally, the interactive sound sculpture ‘Calling’ by Nick Duval-Smith opens 3 November.

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