Four artists from Otago secondary schools will have their artwork displayed around the South Island and lower North Island as part of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority's annual Top Art touring exhibition.
Photographs by Simone Handtschoewercker (Wakatipu High School) and William Snow (John McGlashan College), a painting by Jemma Russell (St Hilda's Collegiate) and a design by Eleanor Merton (Mt Aspiring College) will be among 60 art portfolios on display from some of New Zealand's most talented secondary school art pupils.
The pupils achieved excellence in NCEA level 3 for their visual art portfolios in 2011.
NZQA deputy chief executive, qualifications, Richard Thornton said the selected portfolios had been split into two tours - one collection to tour the upper North Island and the other to travel the South and the lower North Islands.
"Top Art showcases the best of the five streams of visual arts: design, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture.
"The calibre of art produced is of a very high standard and each portfolio is crafted to tell a story through the student's voice.
"The exhibition aims to give the public an overview of the quality of work produced by students."
Mr Thornton hoped the tour would inspire the next generation of artists to emerge and achieve in visual arts.
The artworks by Otago pupils will be on display at the Southland Museum and Art Gallery, Invercargill (May 7-18); King's High School, Dunedin (May 21-25); Waitaki Girls' High School School, Oamaru (May 28-June 1); Blue Mountain College, Tapanui (July 30-August 3); and Wakatipu High School, Queenstown (August 6-10).
