From March 21, forty-three of Victoria’s freshest and most inspiring emerging artists will showcase their exemplary work in the annual exhibition Top Arts 2013 at the National Gallery of Victoria.
Tony Ellwood, Director, NGV, said Top Arts 2013 highlights the NGV’s strong commitment and support of contemporary art and arts education.
“Top Arts builds on a well-earned reputation for being one of the most popular exhibitions on the NGV calendar. It brings together schools, families, creative communities and the education and business sectors.
The talent in this year’s exhibition is fantastic, I’m very impressed by these young artists,” Mr Ellwood said.
Now in its nineteenth year, 2013 sees some exciting developments for Top Arts which for the first time will be displayed in NGV Studio, the Gallery’s popular and dynamic contemporary art space.
David Hurlston, Curator, Australian Art and Coordinator, NGV Studio said that the exhibition will be more visible and accessible at NGV Studio. A selection of workbooks and preparatory work will also feature in the exhibition, signaling a new approach to the presentation.
“One of the things we wanted to bring to this year’s Top Arts, particularly given that it is in NGV Studio, is an insight into the development work that goes into producing a finished piece.
“The underlying concept of NGV Studio is that it is a space for exploring and presenting creative processes and VCE Art and Studio Arts are assessed on the finished work as well as the development work. This will be an inspirational resource for current and future VCE art students and presents an insight into the contemporary issues, particularly those of concern to young people,” Mr Hurlston said.
From an initial selection of over 3,000 works and through a rigorous selection process and short listing procedure, VCE Art and Studio Arts students from government, Catholic and independent schools from across Victoria are represented in the exhibition with a diversity of media including painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, multimedia, textiles and installation.
A range of informative and interactive programs will run throughout Top Arts 2013, including children’s labels in the exhibition, introductory talks by exhibiting artists and student and teacher professional learning programs. See ngv.vic.gov.au/learn
After-hours programming will also take place with a pop-up café and lounge becoming a social venue once a month on Thursday evenings during the exhibition. See ngv.vic.gov.au/whats-on/exhibitions/top-arts-2013 for more details.
An exciting magazine-style publication has been published to coincide with Top Arts 2013. Authored by Ronnie Scott, it features profiles on each of the exhibiting artists and will be available from the NGV Shop for $19.95.
Top Arts 2013 will be on display at NGV Studio, Flinders street, Federation Square from 21 March – 7 July 2013. Top Arts 2013 is open daily, 10am-5pm. Admission is free.
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Top Arts 2013 is a VCE Season of Excellence event.
Education Supporters
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority
Catholic Education Office
Independent Schools Victoria
Support Sponsor
Avant Card
Event Sponsors
Phoenix Organics
Charlie’s Honest Drinks