Exhibition of rangatahi art opens at Civic Theatre for the first time

He Waka Tuia outreach curator Saskia Whall during the installation of the touring Top Art exhibition, on display at Invercargill’s Civic Theatre until Wednesday 5 August.

An exhibition celebrating the creative excellence of New Zealand students has now opened at Invercargill’s Civic Theatre.

Top Art was an annual touring exhibition that showcased the Visual Arts portfolios from a selection of rangatahi who achieved Excellence in NCEA Level 3 Visual Arts the previous year. Portfolios covered the five fields of Visual Arts: design, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture.

The exhibition, which featured work from students throughout New Zealand, was on display

in the Wikitoria Room at the Civic Theatre in Invercargill until Wednesday 5 August.

The exhibition had previously been shown at the former Southland Museum and Art Gallery, Southland Girls’ High School, and James Hargest College.

He Waka Tuia outreach curator Saskia Whall said the exhibition was a celebration of the creativity of young people from the far north to the deep south of New Zealand.

“The calibre of visual art being created by rangatahi throughout the motu is incredible, and we are really delighted to be able to play a role in bringing a showcase of this to the people of Invercargill and Southland. Top Art will be the first off-site exhibition we have hosted at the Civic Theatre, and we are really looking forward to bringing a celebration of visual arts to such a grand, beloved space in our city,” she said.

“Ensuring art is able to be seen within accessible spaces throughout our community is really important. When art is woven into our public spaces, everybody has the opportunity to connect, feel inspired, and experience creativity in their everyday lives.”

Top Art was exhibited by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA).

Twenty-seven physical art boards were on display at the Civic Theatre, alongside approximately 23 digital moving image (DMI) folios of work.

NZQA Deputy Chief Executive Assessment Jann Marshall said Top Art not only gave secondary students – and teachers – the opportunity to see first-hand what was required to achieve Excellence in Visual Arts at Level 3. It was also an opportunity for members of the public to see, and celebrate, the high standard of artistic expression created in secondary schools.

“These students have created outstanding work, and this exhibition represents just a small sample of what was produced at this level in schools across the country last year,” she said.

Entry to the exhibition was free to members of the public. Self-guided tours were available throughout the Civic Theatre’s usual opening hours, however guided tours could be booked at set times here, with the option to include an additional walking art tour of the inner-city also available.

A list of the artists, their schools, and the medium covered by each portfolio was available here.