A New Concept to Support the Careers of Australia's Emerging Artists

Sydney, 1 November 2007 -- A striking collection of emerging art, the Ergas Collection, supporting some of the most interesting and challenging new artists in Australasia, is being launched in Sydney this month.

The Ergas Collection brings to the Australian art environment a unique concept that supports young and yet-to-be recognised Australasian artists in the earliest phases of their careers, offering assistance to support and propel artists who have developed their practice independently of traditional educational paths or who remain outside the art world mainstream.

As a non-profit organisation, Ergas Collection generates funds through creating access to the collection including a loans service, curatorial consultation and professional advice to individuals, companies, museums, and corporate organisations.

"The positive response to the work in the Collection and the philosophy behind the Collection is overwhelming," said Glenn Barkley, CEO of the Ergas Collection.

"This is an opportunity for the wider community to experience works that still seep of energy from the artist studio. We are building a collection of more challenging and innovative art, archive and materials beyond simply works on a wall - clients of the Ergas Collection engage with a public program that may include curatorial and artist talks, information studio or gallery visits," Glenn Barkley explained.

"At the same time, we aim to feed into the visual arts world in a very important and simple way, making things happen without the pressures and politics of other funding organisations. The Collection is also helping to keep studios open, and allowing curators to work without added financial pressure."

Young Melbournian Ben Armstrong says the Ergas Collection has greatly impacted his life as an artist, "It's fantastic to be supported and collected, for my work to be taken seriously, and obviously the financial support is very important too. It means I work one day less in a bookshop and one day more in my art studio.

"Ergas has instilled a great confidence to know that your work is cared for and more importantly seen," Armstrong said.

No other organisation offers such a comprehensive and varied service and support within the art world in Australia.

The Collection contains over 250 works across a diverse range, from sculpture and dvd by Lou Hubbard, made from everyday domestic items and paintings by Frank Nowlan depicting humble south coast vernacular architecture, to Melbourne artist Tammy Honey's short video pieces called ICandy, which explore male orientated iconography together with female sexuality.

The Ergas Collection has also financially supported a number of innovative and challenging exhibitions of work both in Australia and abroad. Recent projects include other worlds/othernews at Starkwhite New Zealand (curated by Aaron Seeto) and travel assistance to artist Christian Capurro whose work was recently included in the 52nd Venice Biennale.

The Ergas Collection has been founded by Henry Ergas, one of Australia's leading economists, who has been a significant philanthropic supporter to a number of cultural institutions and whose practice of using his private capital to assist other business owners to achieve success, is behind the concept of this emerging art collection.