The best way to get young people interested in contemporary art is to put real works of art in their hands. That is the concept behind the Muka Youth Prints Exhibition, which will soon be coming to Whakatāne. On 14–15 August, young people between the ages of five and 18 will be invited to the Little Orchard Room at Te Kōputu to view and purchase the artwork of their choice, on their own, at an affordable price.

Exhibitions Co-ordinator Museum and Arts, Victoria Sinclair, says the cost of art work is normally prohibitive for young people, but Muka offers a solution. “The idea of the Muka Youth Print Exhibition is simply to make original, contemporary work affordable to young people,” Ms Sinclair says. “It allows them to choose a piece without considering money or the name of the artist, but purely on the basis of their personal response to the work.

“Muka embodies a very broad perspective of the contemporary art scene, with styles ranging from the realistic to the abstract, from works which are easily accessible to those requiring more thought,” she says.

A number of well-known artists from New Zealand and around the world have produced a limited number of small, original prints for the exhibition. Previous New Zealand contributors have included Ralph Hotere, Dick Frizzell, Gretchen Albrecht and Tony Fomison.

Adults can purchase vouchers and are invited to give the gift of art to a young person. Purchases can also be made on behalf of organisations or institutions where the art works will be displayed specifically for the enjoyment of young people.

Muka Studio was established in 1988 and initiated what was to become the largest ongoing arts educational project in the world.