The Dunedin School of Art plans to build closer ties with the Dunedin community as it prepares to launch its new foundation endowment fund next week.
"It's about reciprocity between us and our community and how we can better serve the community," school head Prof Leoni Schmidt said yesterday.
"In modernist times, back 20 or 30 years ago, art schools were often very insular places where artists worked by themselves. But in contemporary art practice, art schools engage with the community and with issues in a city. That is how contemporary art operates.
"We want to expand to be more community-focused. We want to do things above and beyond the programmes we deliver and pull the community more into the school," she said.
"It will also give students more opportunities to present their work to the public, and bringing the community into the school will add energy to our school."
The Dunedin School of Art was the first art school in New Zealand and has influenced the careers of artists such as Colin McCahon, Toss Woollaston, Marilynn Webb and Ralph Hotere.
"More recently, Simon Kaan, Rachael Rakena, Kushana Bush and Kurt Adams are some of the younger-generation high fliers who have graduated from the school," Prof Schmidt said.
Further development is planned for the school site at the corner of Albany St and Anzac Ave.
"Otago Polytechnic is going to build a creative precinct on the site over upcoming years. The art school is thriving and doing really well. Student numbers are up and night classes for the public are chock-a-block. We can't accommodate everyone who wants to do printmaking and drawing at night, and will probably add photography next year."
The school was already engaging with the community through workshops, artist visits, symposia and discussion groups, Prof Schmidt said.
The foundation fund would be used for "the enhancement of quality and for continuing excellence and service to the school's communities", she said.
The Dunedin School of Art Foundation launch at 6.30pm on Friday will include a preview of the 2011 "Site" exhibition and a presentation of artist portfolios printed by students.
