Artspace, Create NSW, and the National Art School (NAS) have announced the finalists for the 2021 NSW Visual Arts Emerging Fellowship (NSW VAEF): Eddie Abd, Chun Yin Rainbow Chan, Cindy Yuen-Zhe Chen, Joe Wilson and Chanelle Collier, Emily Parsons-Lord, and Genevieve Felix Reynolds.
Due to the COVID-19 lockdown across NSW and Artspace’s home at The Gunnery undergoing redevelopment, the finalists’ exhibition will be presented at NAS Gallery in Darlinghurst in 2022, returning to Artspace from 2023. NAS Gallery Coordinator, Scott Elliot, will join Artspace’s Alexie Glass-Kantor and Elyse Goldfinch to develop the Fellowship exhibition.
2021 NSW Visual Arts Emerging Fellowship Finalists, L-R: Eddie Abd, Joe Wilson and Chanelle Collier, Cindy Yuen-Zhe Chen, Emily Parsons-Lord, Chun Yin Rainbow Chan and Genevieve Felix Reynolds
NSW VAEF has evolved over the past 100 years into a key exhibition for profiling the dynamism and breadth of emerging contemporary artistic practice in NSW. Valued at $30,000, the Fellowship is offered by the NSW Government through Create NSW to enable a visual artist early in their career to undertake a self-directed program of professional development.
Each year, Create NSW convenes a judging panel of esteemed colleagues to determine the finalists, providing insight and passion to assess the highly competitive round of proposals.
‘The outstanding finalists represent the vibrant and diverse artistic community across NSW. As a curatorium, we will offer professional development through curatorial advocacy and engagement, building upon relationships to bring artists, ideas and audiences together for this highly anticipated exhibition,’ said the Fellowship curators. ‘While the world continues to be disrupted by COVID-19, we look forward to being able to celebrate the practices of these seven emerging artists. We warmly congratulate all the finalists and look forward to welcoming audiences to the NAS Gallery in 2022.’
