Next Generation Artist's Showcase 2025

Our annual Next Generation Artists’ Showcase is designed to give local high school students the opportunity to curate and present a group exhibition in the supportive environment of Inverlochy Art School.

For our 2025 showcase, we were thrilled to collaborate with six talented young artists, pictured above from left to right: Lydia M. Fagan, Maia Fletcher Walker, Sophia Khryoko, Yuko Thorpe, Suji Son, and Piccolo Simma.

Working across painting, drawing, and photography, these artists were selected through an Open Call sent to local high schools. From a large number of impressive applications, this year’s participants stood out for the individuality of their work and their clear dedication to their artistic practice.

In preparation for the exhibition, the artists took part in a hands-on workshop in the IAS Community Gallery, where they met with Inverlochy Directors to explore the principles of exhibition planning and installation. Together, they considered how curatorial decisions, from artwork placement to exhibition titling, shape the way viewers engage with art.

A month later, the artists installed their exhibition, In our minds and where we are, demonstrating thoughtful attention to the relationships between their works and the space. The exhibition opened on Thursday, 19 June, and ran through to Sunday, 27 July.

To celebrate the closing of the exhibition, Inverlochy hosted a Next Generation Artists' Open Day, featuring discounted art workshops and an artist talk. Workshops, open to the public, included dynamic sculpting, mixed-media collage, and charcoal drawing. Each exhibiting artist received free entry to a workshop of their choice.

At the closing artist talk, three of the exhibiting artists, Lydia, Sophia, and Yuko, shared insights into their work. They were joined by Wellington-based American artist Abbie Colhoun, who spoke about her journey in the arts, her studies, and her experiences working internationally. The event was warmly attended by friends, whānau, and the wider Inverlochy community.

A heartfelt thank you to our exhibiting artists, their families, and to our showcase sponsor, Gordon Harris Wellington, who generously gifted $50 vouchers to each artist.