About 500 works expected for one of NZ's biggest college art exhibitions

About 500 works are expected to be entered for Carmel College’s 14th annual event, possibly the biggest school art exhibition in New Zealand.

A total of 120 established and emerging artists will take part in the exhibition at the North Shore school in Milford on August 6 to 8.

Famous artists who have taken part in this exhibition in the past include Dalene Meiring, Peter Collis, Marte Szirmay, Ted Dutch, Virginia Leonard, Russell Jackson, Phillip Kilmore, Jane Puckey,

Jeff Thomson, Tracy Mathewson, Neal Palmer, Peter Lambert, Paul Dibble and Dean Buchanan.

Leading artists this year are Michel Tuffery, Michelle Farrell, Brendan Adams, Jenny Bennett, Philippa Bentley, Tony Cribb, Christian Nicolson, Chris Moore, James Wright, Isaac Peterson and Karen Walters.

The event has taken off on the Auckland art calendar as prices suit all budgets from $50 to $5000, organiser Pippa McCallum said today.

``As an indication of its success, the event raised $40,000 last year and the money was used to buy audio/visual equipment for the intermediate school and 20 Apple Mac computers.

``So many people are keen to be part of this event to the extent that every year we have artists begging to be included.

``We usually invite three or four artists to be our artists in residence and they will paint and create their works on site during the exhibition.’’

The exhibition has become an event that the Auckland community eagerly anticipates each year. Thousands of people flock to visit the show just to see the works of well known and emerging New Zealand artists. The gala preview evening, always a sell out with 600 guests, will be held August 6.