20 November 2009 Art auction to create a sculpture

An auction of original art by some of New Zealand’s best-known artists will create a sculpture for a building some people also consider a work of art.

Lincoln University’s School of Landscape Architecture will celebrate its 40th anniversary with the official opening of its new award-winning building, followed by the art auction, both on November 20.

Head of School, Neil Challenger, says original works by 40 artists will be auctioned to raise funds for the production of a sculpture to complement the new $6 million building.

“Work by a wide range of well known New Zealand artists will be auctioned” he says.  “There will be works by Gretchen Albrecht, Barry Cleavin, Andrew Craig, Neil Dawson, Ralph Hotere, Sandra Thompson, Philip Trusttum and Bianca van Rangelrooy among many others, as well as work by up-and-coming artists and current students.

“There are small sculptures and three-dimensional works, photos, oil paintings, watercolours, etchings, woodcuts and prints, landscapes, abstracts and nudes … something for every taste and budget.  The proceeds will fund production of the sculpture on campus by the 2010 Sculptor in Residence.”

The new Landscape Architecture building recently won a Public Architecture award in the Canterbury Architecture Awards for being what judges describe as a groundbreaking education building – which seems fitting for a school which was also groundbreaking.

“New Zealand’s first professional qualification in Landscape Architecture began in 1969 at what was then Lincoln College, with five students in a prefab,” says Mr Challenger.  “Nearly 700 students have now graduated from our Landscape Architecture programme and this year 150 students are studying in the school towards Bachelors, Masters and PhD degrees.

“The school now has an internationally regarded reputation for its research, its own referred journal (Landscape Review) and, combined with planning, has received the top research ranking among New Zealand design programmes.”

The 40th anniversary celebrations:
November 20, Landscape Architecture building officially opened at 5pm, followed by the art auction at 6.15pm.

The digital catalogue for the art auction can be viewed here