The Olivia Spencer Bower Foundation Artist in Residence

The Olivia Spencer Bower Foundation was established by the late artist to provide talented, young New Zealand artists with financial assistance. The Foundation is charged with selecting an artist (painter or sculptor) for a year-long residency at the Arts Centre. The selection of the artist is managed externally by the Olivia Spencer Bower Foundation.and not the Arts Centre. In addition to funding, the artist is provided with a heritage-listed apartment  and studio in which to live and work, enabling them to focus on and develop their art practice over a year- long period. This apartment is next door to the Arts Centre's own residency programme's apartment.

Past receipeints of this prestigious award include: Pauline Rhodes (1987), Ruth Watson (1992), Seraphine Pick (1994), Chris Heaphy (1995) and Saskia Leek (1997), Joanna Langford (2006), Robert Hood (2007) and Clare Noonan (2009).

For more information please see: www.oliviaspencerbower.org.nz

2010 Olivia Spencer Bower Art Award Recipient: Cat Auburn

Cat is a sculptor from Auckland who makes ethereal, somewhat eerie, gangly, over-sized creations made of fibreglass and resin. Often depiciting horses, her work can be reminiscent of a fairground carousel. She is inspired by animals and her  teenage experiences as a competitive show jumper.

Cat has exhibited in Little Rain, City Art Rooms (2009); was part of Sculpture On Shore in 2008; and was a finalist in the 2008 Wallace Art Awards. She completed her studies at Elam, in Auckland in 2007. Cat was chosen from a record number of 128 applicants from around New Zealand.

To download the press release, click here.