Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design celebrates many highlights this year that have excited both students and staff. Students participated in the inaugural Eden Arts Art Schools Award which brought together for the first time Auckland's four major art institutions, Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design, Elam School of Fine Arts, Unitec and AUT. Institution names and the names of the 24 students selected (six from each institution) were concealed while judging took place. Donna Summers, Whitecliffe Year 4 BFA Fine Arts student, was the overall winner and received $5,000 in prize money.
The judges were National Business Review arts writer, John Daly-Peoples, gallerist, Kate Mullins and new Artspace Director, Caterina Riva.
“Students used the art of the past and present to make relevant and illuminating comments on personal, social and environmental issues,” said John Daly-Peoples.
Another highlight sees the work of three Fashion graduates selected to represent contemporary New Zealand fashion in Black in Fashion: Wearing the Colour Black in New Zealand, the second major exhibition presented by the New Zealand Fashion Museum, which will run in the Auckland Britomart precinct from 9 September to 24 October, 2011.
Fashion graduate, Maxine Wooldridge, launched her label Dmonic Intent at New Zealand Fashion Week as part of the 2011 Miromoda Showcase and will also present at the Miromoda Fashion Extravaganza held in Wellington.
These shows have given Maxine the platform to present her work on an international level.
These successes follow that of the 2011 Young Bridal Designer Competition won by Year 3 Fashion student, Samantha Wainstein. Samantha’s prize includes an internship with two of the world’s most acclaimed and iconic couture bridal designers, Cymbeline of Paris and Ruben Perlotti of Barcelona. Samantha will travel to Paris in January 2012 and spend two weeks with each designer.
A further two scholarships were awarded this year for outstanding achievements resulting in trips overseas. Fraser Bingham, a Year 4 Graphic student attended a top Typography Workshop in San Francisco and the second scholarship was awarded to Madeleine Harman, a Year 4 Fashion student, who will be joining students from Montclair State University to travel to Paris and Antwerp on a Fashion Study Abroad trip.
The icing on the cake came last week at the prestigious Wallace Arts Award where two of the top five awards where given to a Whitecliffe alumni and a current tutor. Akiko Diegel (2006 Whitecliffe BFA graduate) winner of the Wallace Arts Trust Paramount Award also receives a 6-month residency at the International Studio and Curatorial Program in New York, and current tutor Matt Ellwood won The Kaipara Foundation Wallace Trust Award and receives a 3-month residency at the Altes Spital in Solothurn, Switzerland.
Other current faculty represented as finalists were: Noel Ivanoff (HOD Fine Arts); Jill Sorensen; Yoon Tae Kim; Yolunda Hickman; Jacquie Ure; and Ryuzo Nishida. Whitecliffe Alumni were Rabdeep Singh Baines; Lee Harrop and Aaron McConchie.
Much of the success can be contributed to the excellent programme and tutoring by faculty at Whitecliffe College. “Whitecliffe offers an environment of challenge, creativity, individualism and discovery whilst pursuing professional standards and recognition,” said Belinda Watt, HOD of Fashion.