Article

| 14 September 2009

Otago Polytechnic School of Art Gallery

In March 2009 the School of Art took ownership of a brand new and purpose-built Gallery space. This has finally replaced all the ad-hoc gallery spaces that the school had previously adapted for its exhibition purposes during the last ten years.

In this, its first year of operation, the school has decided to carefully test and evaluate the role that this new gallery may fulfil, both in respect of its educational aims within the school and its possible contribution to the wider arts community.
During its first months of operation it has hosted several different kinds of exhibition:

•Final examination exhibitions of completing postgraduate candidates.
•Group exhibitions of undergraduate students, exploring the professional parameters of exhibition practice.
•National touring exhibitions of particular significance to our students.
•Exchange exhibitions with the students of other comparable art and design schools.

Thus far these exhibitions have provided our students with the opportunity to experience, first-hand, the many considerations and variables of exhibition practice, both as participants and observers.
It is envisaged that a comprehensive policy of aims and operation will emerge from the valuable experience of our first year's programme. These aims and processes will necessarily be mindful of the particular learning needs of our visual arts students and their relationship to the local and national arts community