HomeNewsUCOL Te Pūkenga Lecturer to join creative grants panel

UCOL Te Pūkenga Lecturer to join creative grants panel

By UCOL on Wednesday, 31 August 2022

Headshot of Neil Wallace, UCOL Lecturer

Neil Wallace, Lecturer Creative Media, Art & Design for UCOL Te Pūkenga, has been invited to sit on the Visual Arts Selection Committee of the Earle Creativity and Development Trust.

The Trust helps fund local projects within the arts and technical sciences to nurture innovative ideas and talent in the Manawatū and Rangitīkei districts. It is open to individuals or groups with funding for projects totalling up to $50,000.

Neil joined UCOL this year, after an extensive creative career beginning in 1994 that has focussed on supporting and enabling local communities to bring their own creative projects to life. He founded Passionart which worked with at risk youth as well as managing a number of arts festivals. Neil is a peer assessor for Creative New Zealand, as well as a renowned artist in his own right.
 
Neil says it’s an honour to be asked to be part of the Arts Selection Panel, which comprises four other creative professionals: Jeff Fox, Head of Exhibitions and Collections at Te Manawa; Catherine Russ, photographer and Director of Thermostat Gallery; Karen Seccombe, Artistic Director of Square Edge Community Arts and facilitator of the Women’s Art Initiative (WAI); and Raemon Rolfe, artist and former Chair of Te Manawa Art Society.
 
“It’s very humbling for me,” says Wallace. “I’m grateful for the partnerships that UCOL has. They have enabled me to develop and continue professional relationships leading to me being asked to join the selection panel. It’s an absolute privilege.”
 
Neil says previous year’s successful grant applicants have shown an incredibly high level of creative talent through their respective projects.
 
“I’m excited to see this year’s applications and to have a small helping hand in seeing their visions come to life.”
 
Dean Rankin, Executive Dean Humanities & Business, is proud to support Neil in his appointment to the selection committee.
 
“UCOL Te Pūkenga certainly supports our staff being actively involved in their specialist industries, and alongside his activities in the wider creative community, Neil’s role on this selection committee is an excellent achievement.”
 
“I am sure that the knowledge and industry connections that are gained from his involvement will be used to inform his teaching and students learning opportunities, with a focus on developing graduates who continue to innovate within their creative practice.”

Every two years, the Trust supports innovative projects of artistic merit in any media or technique. Its purpose in the first instance is artistic display accessible to the public, rather than commercial or domestic reasons.
 
Those who wish to apply can do so before 7 September, online here.


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