Melbourne, 14 November 2007
Melbourne art student Sam Leach’s work, Insect loves LED, an oil and resin painting on linen, will take pride of place in Siemens corporate art collection, after taking out the 2007 Siemens Acquisition Award in the annual Siemens RMIT Fine Art scholarship awards.
The Acquisition Award, an additional $1000 grant awarded to one of the winners of eight Fine Art Scholarships bestowed annually by Siemens to RMIT students, will see Mr Leach’s work on display at Siemens corporate headquarters in Bayswater.
The Siemens RMIT Fine Art Partnership, now in its eighth year, awards eight annual scholarships totaling $32,000, which supports emerging artists with production costs and enables them to pursue further study both locally and overseas.
Mr Leach, who is currently undertaking a Masters of Arts (Fine Arts) at RMIT, has previously been an Archibald finalist in 2007, as well as the recipient of the Metro 5 Judges Prize in 2006. Staff from Siemens’s Bayswater head office participate in the Siemens RMIT Fine Art scholarship awards judging
process to select their preferred work for display.
Five Undergraduate scholarships of $2,000 were awarded to:
- Brigitte Lavergne – For her group of three ceramic vessels.
- Claudine Kraan – For her video, entitled Water Lilley.
- Anita Van Doorn – For the gold and silversmithing entry in fine silver and enamel, entitled Rock Pools.
- Emma Hutchinson – For her group of three digital ink jet prints, entitled ‘untitled’.
- Chloe Valance – For her drawing, entitled Charlie and Gran Watering the Garden.
The three Postgraduate scholarships of $7,000 were awarded to:
- Ruth Fleishman – For her digital print on paper, entitled Dwelling.
- Abby Seymore – For her concertina artist’s book.
- Sam Leach – For his oil and resin painting on linen, entitled Insect Loves LED.
Siemens Australia Managing Director Albert Goller congratulated the eight scholarship recipients, as well as all artists featured in the exhibition, and said Siemens was proud to support the next generation of contemporary artists.
“Our support of experimental art in Australia is part of our commitment to fostering a spirit of innovation amongst both our staff and the industries we operate in,” Mr Goller said.
“Technology now evolves at such a rapid pace that our staff are continually challenged to think unconventionally about new ways to address the mega-issues affecting large cities, be they water, energy, environment, healthcare, productivity, safety and security.
“Through the Siemens art program, and our art collection, our staff gain access to an inspirational working environment that both encourages their individual creativity and stimulates healthy and frank discussions amongst our diverse staff group."