ACTIVITIES
Tautai provides a program of activities and support, ensuring a continuity and confidence in a broad range of services established over several years, which have been shown to meet the needs of the artist membership. Tautai’s core activities have been constantly reviewed and evolved for continuous improvement within the available resources.
Tautai promotes, supports, and encourages contemporary pacific artists primarily resident in Aotearoa New Zealand. This is a large and growing group of artists that are now experiencing wide acclaim. Such recognition must continue to be built upon in order to realise for the artists professionalism and income opportunities that will sustain their talents independently.
Key parts of the Tautai program are:
Exhibitions Promotion
Tautai has an extensive database of individuals and organisations who are interested in receiving information on pacific influenced art. The Pacific Arts Diary is a regular email providing information on exhibitions with work by pacific heritage artists and is complimented with other mediums including radio interviews and a column in a bi-monthly magazine.
Tautai Newsletter
Tautai produces a full colour six page newsletter four times a year which is mailed to a substantial number of artists and supporters as well as libraries and other institutions. Each issue of the Tautai Newsletter contains a profile of at least one artist. It also records pacific art events, and other contributions are sourced to cover both national and international items of interest.
Tautai Fresh Horizons
Tautai has since 2001 run a series of intensive workshops for students. Nominated secondary school students spend two or three days at the Tautai Fresh Horizons workshops with established pacific heritage artist tutors thinking, talking and making art. Furthermore, the involvement of tertiary institutions in the workshops is mutually beneficial and introduces the students to continuing education opportunities.
Vocational Assistance
Tautai staff provide artists with assistance on request for such support as curriculum vitae preparation, funding applications, information about contacts and residencies. Also, the broad experience within the Tautai office and the wide network of members and supporters is used to provide artists with assistance by referral where appropriate.
Member Gatherings
Tautai is seen as important in facilitating interaction between young/emerging artists and the more established and senior artist community. Gatherings and functions arranged by Tautai are also an opportunity for all artists to meet with their peers to share ideas and gain knowledge and support as well as to build their networks.
Tautai Website
Tautai and its website is a recognised resource for information on pacific art and artists. The website is actively managed to ensure content remains relevant and valuable. Additional material is regularly added to this public source of current and historical data.
Exhibition Opportunities
Tautai artist members consistently request opportunities for art exhibition to supplement those available to them through dealer galleries, tertiary and other institutions. Such exhibitions are arranged within the available resources and as opportunities arise.
Tertiary Visits
Tautai makes arrangements for established artists to visit pacific heritage students at their institutions, at present limited to Auckland due to resources. In addition to the support and advice given by practicing artists, these Tertiary Visits also provide important networking opportunities between the student artists.
Professional Development
Tautai is developing its all-important informal mentoring function into a more structured program of professional development opportunities for artists who have already made progress in establishing their art practice. With its networks Tautai can reach many of those pacific artists and has demonstrated that it can facilitate worthwhile seminars and provide focused assistance.
Art Curators and Writers
Tautai has recognised that young pacific curators are needed to build exhibition projects and in particular to work with the next generation of artists coming out of tertiary institutions. Tautai is working with these potential curators to foster their endeavours in an incubator process to develop their experience and skill base. These new art projects also draw out new writers who can use their academic training to profile pacific art and artists. As a result Tautai is now fostering emerging talent in areas wider than pure visual art alone.