Scholarships

The George Mason Visual Art Scholarship aims to assist a senior Taranaki secondary school student to continue their visual arts study at a tertiary level, including Māori visual art, design and architecture courses. The student must currently be studying a visual art subject, ngā toi, or DVC at a Taranaki secondary school, kura kaupapa or Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu (Taranaki resident).

The Scholarship encourages both academic achievers and students who demonstrate drive and motivation towards a career in visual arts. Awarded annually to the value of $3,300, the scholarship is paid as a one-off lump sum to the winning student on proof of enrolment for a visual arts course at tertiary education level.

The Scholarship is funded by the George Mason Trust and managed by the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery. This includes administering the application and award process and promoting the Scholarship to Taranaki visual arts teachers and students through the Gallery’s website and marketing.

2024 Scholarship Applications

2024 Scholarship applications are now closed. Thank you for all the fantastic nominations!

Selection criteria

Selection focuses on one final artwork from the student’s school folio or mahi toi, clearly titled and dated in the file name, supported by five relevant images (these could be work in progress and may include video stills), and the student’s artist statement. Images should be supplied as JPEGs (min. 1MB, max. 2MB) individually attached to the application email.

Applications are scored on three criteria: quality of ideas (70%), aesthetic skill (20%) and artist statement (10%). The figures in brackets indicate the priority given to students with a unique, consistent and personal perspective to art.

Selection panel

The selection panel this year will comprise: Chris Barry, Educator at Govett-Brewster (BFA, MFA, Cert Adult Ed), Taarati Taiaroa, Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Apa Ringahāpai Kaitakatū, Ngā Toi Māori | Assistant Curator Contemporary Māori Art at Govett-Brewster (BFA Hons, MFA, Masters in Museums and Cultural Heritage), and Justin Jade Morgan, Curator / Exhibitions Component and Support Fabricator at Puke Ariki (Masters Arts Management, Post Grad Dip Art & Design).

No Taranaki school art teachers are on the panel to avoid any conflict of interest, perceived or otherwise.

Awarding of Scholarship

The Scholarship winner will be announced on Tuesday 22 October with the student receiving payment once they have supplied proof of their enrolment in a visual arts tertiary education course of a minimum of three years diploma status. An artwork and written statement from each year’s winning student will be displayed (and digitally archived) on the scholarship page within the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery’s website.

Winning students will be required to annually contact the Govett-Brewster Educator with proof of their continued enrolment in a visual arts tertiary education course, provide their grades for the previous year’s study and supply updated contact details. This is to enable tracking of the success of the Scholarship’s objective.