Troy Grant Media Release – 2014 NSW Visual Artists Fellowship Shortlist

Minister for the Arts Troy Grant has today congratulated the shortlist of 12 visual artists for the 2014 NSW Visual Artists (Emerging) Fellowship.

The artists will work with curators over four months in the lead up to an exhibition of their work at Artspace in October 2014 with the winner of the Fellowship to be announced on the opening night.

“The NSW Government is offering this Fellowship as part of its support for the professional development of artists in NSW,” Mr Grant said.

“The Fellowship is open to visual artists in the first eight years of their professional practice who have had at least one solo show and one group show.

“Through this Fellowship the NSW Government will provide $30,000 to an emerging visual artist to undertake a program of professional development, such as overseas travel, residencies, or mentorships.

“The NSW Government is also providing $25,000 to Artspace towards the management and development of the Fellowship, as well as the exhibition of the works of the shortlisted applicants.

“I congratulate each of the artists shortlisted for the fellowship and look forward to seeing their work and announcing a winner later this year,” Mr Grant said.

The shortlisted visual artists are:

· Tessa Zettel (Erskineville) whose practice encompasses sculpture and installation, drawing, printmaking, writing, curating and design.

· Lillian O’Neil (Alexandria) uses monumentally-scaled collage and has an upcoming solo exhibition at The Commercial Gallery in August 2014.

· Justine Varga (Paddington) recently exhibited Sounding Silence at Stills Gallery, and has previously exhibited at Primavera 2012, MCA Australia, and in Flatlands, Art Gallery of NSW.

· Sarah Contos (Elizabeth Bay) whose practice embraces painting, assemblage, craft, soft sculpture and installation.

· Tim Bruniges (Killarney Heights) is a visual artist and musician working across a range of media including installation, sound and video.

· Leyla Stevens (Paddington) has participated in group exhibitions at Firstdraft Gallery, Brenda May Gallery and The Hampden and Central Galleries, Massachusetts, USA.

· Jonny Niesche (Annandale) whose solo exhibition, Too Many Heroes, was shown at Firstdraft Gallery last year.

· Baden Pailthorpe (Erskineville) is a new media artist whose work has recently focused on the re-appropriation and manipulation of military technologies, including simulators, cinema and video games.

· Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran (Darlinghurst) whose practice spans painting, ceramics and sculpture, has had recent solo exhibitions at Gallery 9, Kudos Gallery and Firstdraft Gallery.

· Jason Wing (Lilyfield) began as a street artist and has since expanded his practice to incorporate photo media, installation and painting.

· Agatha Gothe-Snape (Balmain) incorporates text, colour, space, conversation and participation in her work, and recently participated in a two-person exhibition, Taking Form, with Sriwhana Spong at the Art Gallery of NSW.

· Marian Tubbs (Paddington) whose exhibitions include SLUSH with art group Slush, Firstdraft Gallery; and Have you ever been to the House of Cashmere? Maybe we could go and just roll around sometime, DB Project, Surry Hills.