29 September 2023
The future of South Australian contemporary art will be on display when the 2024 Helpmann Academy Graduate Exhibition opens at its new location at the University of South Australia’s South Australian School of Art (SASA) Gallery in Kaurna Yarta/Adelaide’s West End.
The Helpmann Academy are thrilled to announce a new, three-year partnership with UniSA to deliver the Helpmann Academy Graduate Exhibition at SASA Gallery.
This new location will see the top emerging visual arts graduates from UniSA and Flinders University exhibit their works in a precinct that, according to the Adelaide Economic Development Agency, “sees creativity flourish equally through education, innovation and artistic and culinary pursuits”.
The Helpmann Academy Graduate Exhibition has a long history of being a launchpad for the next generation of artistic talent in our state. SASA Gallery’s student focus will ensure that this tradition continues.
Ms Jane MacFarlane, CEO, Helpmann Academy, said that the Helpmann Academy Graduate Exhibition also provides emerging visual artists with an opportunity to connect with a huge range of professional arts workers in the creative industry, including curators, educators and exhibition designers to patrons and key donors, right at the beginning of their creative journey.
The Helpmann Academy Graduate Exhibition is an annual celebration of the strongest creative voices emerging from South Australia’s contemporary art scene. Being housed at ACE for the past three years, the graduating artists were immersed in the workings of a flagship, contemporary art gallery.
“Partnering with ACE – South Australia’s leading independent contemporary visual arts organisation – was a rich and invaluable experience for the Helpmann Academy and the emerging artists that were exhibited during this period. The partnership with ACE provided countless opportunities for these graduates. I would like to thank the Louise Dunn, Patrice Sharkey and the install team for sharing their knowledge and expertise with us.”
Continues Ms MacFarlane, “We are so excited to now be moving to this new location and staying in the West End. The South Australian School of Art (SASA) with its 150 plus year history, is an incubator for some of our state’s most significant artists. We are thrilled to write a new chapter in this history”. comments Ms MacFarlane.
Professor Joanne Cys, Provost & Chief Academic Officer at UniSA, is looking forward to hosting some of the state’s most promising emerging artists and showcasing the work of talented graduates under one roof.
“It’s a real privilege for UniSA to house the emerging artists of today, who have the potential to become the household names of the art world of tomorrow. I am passionate about graduate outcomes, and the Helpmann Academy Graduate Exhibition has such a strong reputation for launching the careers of local emerging artists. By providing this platform at SASA Gallery, I am thrilled that UniSA can contribute to the career trajectory of our state’s top visual artists and graduates,” said Professor Cys.
The Helpmann Academy Graduate Exhibition also continues to be one of the most lucrative opportunities for emerging artists in the country, with South Australia’s creatives once again eligible for a range of awards, thanks to the generosity of Helpmann’s long-term donors and partners.
The 2024 Helpmann Academy Graduate Exhibition opens on Thursday 15 February and runs until Friday 22 March 2024.
The VIP Vernissage preview event is on Wednesday 14 February 2024.
2024 Helpmann Academy Graduate Exhibition
SASA Gallery
University of South Australia
UniSA Kaurna Building, City West
Fenn Place, Adelaide
Images: SASA Gallery by Sia Duff / Carrie Radzevicius, Lively Matter. Image courtesy of the artist / Patricia Jones, ReBORN (Mesh Bags). Photo by Simon McClure and David Hume.