This year is a significant year in the history of Massey University’s College of Creative Arts as we celebrate 125 years of the Wellington School of Design, established by Arthur Riley in 1886.
Throughout 2011 we have hosted and produced some outstanding exhibitions, with the highlight being our anniversary exhibition OLDSCHOOL NEWSCHOOL: an art & design history of New Zealand. This exhibition of design has been researched and produced by the College including many of it’s renowned alumni, and will lead into the BLOW 2011 Festival. The event will inspire anyone with an interest in art and design. Full details are listed in our Festival programme.
Alongside this historical tribute, BLOW 2011 will showcase work by emerging artists, designers, dancers and musicians from selected tertiary institutions in New Zealand. You will also be treated with the opportunity to see the New Zealand Music Composition Competition final, run by Matthew Marshall of the Central Queensland University, staged right here in Wellington.
The underlying theme of BLOW is the desire to share the amazing and high quality work by creative students with the wider public, and present the latest cutting edge research and work of our academics and invited guests. These performances, exhibitions and forums are integral to BLOW as a showcase of the very best creative talent emerging from Massey University in partnership with contributing organisations, the New Zealand School of Music, the New Zealand School of Dance and the School of Creative & Performing Arts at Central Queensland University, Australia.
BLOW is proud to be the showcase for these events and to promote the creative thinking and practice behind many successful careers. Massey University is proud to continue a 125 year old tradition of defining art and design in New Zealand and has its sights set on a long and successful future.
I trust you will enjoy the festival this year with all it has to offer and make sure you get along to as many shows as you can.
Drew Naika
Festival Director
