Born to create

Being an artist was always part of the plan for Audrey Goggin. With two graphic designers for parents, art was in her life from a young age. “I grew up drawing, painting, going to museums and galleries with my parents,” she says. “I’ve always been surrounded by art and knew that’s what I would do in the future.” 

Having just finished the first year of a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and a Certificate in Languages (French), she is on her way to making the dream a reality. A skilled painter, she explores ideas of identity and culture in her work, inspired in part by her own experience as a mixed-race woman who grew up  in a range of countries including England, the United States and the Netherlands. This is exemplified in a recent painting of her mum as a one-year old in Hong Kong (see below). “I've always been drawn to painting young people, because our core identity and personality is there, but it hasn't been affected by all of the things that happen in life; it's just our true self,” she explains. “The experience of painting my mum as an infant, when I’ve only known her as an adult, made me look at our relationship in a different way.”

Money is a constant concern for Fine Arts students who, along with standard programme costs, face the extra burden of purchasing costly art supplies for practical studio courses. First-year students like Audrey rotate through six four-week projects aimed at introducing them to a range of different mediums from printmaking to sculpture. These projects are crucial for students discovering and developing their artistic voice, and even though Elam School of Fine Arts supplies foundational materials, many students face limitations with additional art supplies to experiment and learn with. 

Enter the Fine Arts Supply Bank, which was established in 2024 and is helping students’ artistic talent flourish by eliminating financial barriers associated with art supplies. The idea was proposed by a donor, explains Head of Elam Fiona Jack. “Our founding patron loves art and had been thinking about what a struggle it would be in this economy for students to buy materials to make their work.” 

The Supply Bank is funded by numerous donors, with donations of any size accepted. Funds are currently distributed directly to first- and third-year students in the form of $100 vouchers for the art supply store Gordon Harris, ensuring they receive immediate and tangible support. It is key in helping students pursue their creative vision, says Audrey. “There's nothing worse than having an idea, but not having the funds to buy supplies to bring it to life.” She cites her recent photography project as an example, where she wanted to print photos on different types of translucent paper – something she may not have been able to do without the Supply Bank’s support.

Giving students this freedom of choice is critical, says Fiona. “It gives them the breathing space to push their project that much further, and the support helps them feel like they are not alone on their creative journey. The students are blown away by the Supply Bank and so happy that people want to support them like this.” She hopes to grow the fund to support even more students, including postgraduates. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could give $500 to every student every year?”

Audrey was recently named the 2024 recipient of the Rosemary Grice Memorial Prize, which is funded by proceeds from a 1949 posthumous Auckland Art Gallery exhibition of the artist’s paintings. The prize recognises first-year Elam students who produce exceptional work, and Audrey says the Supply Bank’s support was a factor in her success. “The voucher from the Fine Arts Supply Bank definitely helped me with this achievement, as it got rid of material cost limitations for my work this year.”

While still in the initial stages of her degree, Audrey already has a Master of Fine Arts in her sights, which she plans to complete overseas before finding full-time work as an artist. For now, she’s focussed on continuing to challenge her creative skillset – something she does guided by advice from her mum. “Sometimes I get caught up in things not turning out how I imagine them to in my head. But my mum always tells me it's part of the process; not everything turns out exactly how you imagine, and that often opens up new pathways or new ideas. Just let things turn out how they turn out.”