Emerging artists featured across Tasmania
Tasmania's top ten emerging artists are front and centre at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery this month.
RISE, a new biennial initiative launched by QVMAG, is designed to provide a platform to support the careers and visibility of the States most collectable emerging artists.
On display are some of Tasmania's most anticipated up and coming talent for future collection acquisitions, with names including; Katie Barron, Travis Bell, Harrison Bowe, Elizabeth Braid, Eloise Daintree, Katelyn Geard, Eddie James, Lorna Quinn, Frances Reeve Palmer and Stephanie Reynolds.
Creative Arts and Cultural Services General Manager Shane Fitzgerald said RISE would promote the profiles of ten emerging artists with work recognised as being highly collectable acquisitions for private and national collections.
"This exhibition is a new initiative for QVMAG, and one we're proud to be welcoming to the State," Fitzgerald said.
"Our new biennial exhibition is an opportunity to put ten of Tasmania's best emerging artists front and centre, providing a platform for their work to be featured on a national scale.
"Acquiring works from emerging artists is pivotal. All artists featured are on the trajectory for national and global recognition for their unique methods and artistic vision.
"Our institutional objective is to support the full cycle of artists and we are proud to say that QVMAG is now the sole location in Tasmania to do just this.
"The development of RISE will now see a platform for children in art through the ArtStart, a showcase of student artists studying their TCE in ArtRage, a biennial selection of the best of the best emerging Tasmanian artists in RISE, and showcase exhibitions featuring established local, national and global artists.
"All works featured within this exhibition are available for acquisition and I'm confident all works on display will end up joining highly prized local and national collections."
Tasmanian artist Katelyn Geard said the exhibition will be an early career highlight to look back on as her career develops further into the future.
“I am so grateful to be a part of RISE—it's such a fantastic and important program for emerging Tasmanian artists,” Katelyn said.
“I'm honoured to have been given the opportunity to show in an institution like QVMAG as part of an incredible group of artists.”
Tasmanian sculptor Travis Bell said the possibilities and potentials of what you can create with ceramics is what excites him the most.
“It's a little bit terrifying and bizarre, while also being surreal and a privilege to be in RISE. It's a decently brewing pot of emotions and feelings,” Travis said.
"Over the last six or seven years since my first semester of university I've received a lot of support.
“From my parents and family to my friends, teachers and mentors—they've supported me through a large range of means, and the successes I've had are based on the support of others.
“Their support has allowed me to do what I've done, and they've never been pushy or had the ‘we want results’ kind of mindset. They've supported me because they're lovely, nice, beautiful people.
"This show, which is probably the biggest milestone so far, is in a very personal way a sort of a thank you for them."
Artist Steph Reynolds said she love the challenge presented by paper and making it seem like fabric in their work.
“Being invited to participate in RISE feels like an enormous honour for me,” Steph said.
“My art form is comparatively unusual so I am also delighted to have an opportunity to display it and hope it will leave people with a sense of amazement about what is possible with paper.
“I hope it can lead to other opportunities to express my art in different ways.”
RISE is on display exclusively at the Queen Victoria Art Gallery at Royal Park until 15 October with free entry.