Rupert Bunny, The Forerunners circa 1894, oil on linen, 129cm x 299cm, Port Phillip City Collection.
The Rupert Bunny Foundation Visual Arts Fellowship
 The Rupert Bunny Foundation Visual Arts Fellowship (RBFVAF) was established in 2005. The City of Port Phillip is recognised for its rich cultural diversity and acknowledges that artists play a vital role in sustaining a creative city. The City believes in supporting the development of exceptional artistic thinking and talent.
The RBFVAF aims to support a contemporary visual artist with an identifiable commitment to visual arts excellence. The successful Fellow will have a desire to extend their arts practice to a new level, expand their imagination and make a contribution to the City of Port Phillip.The City of Port Phillip awards the Rupert Bunny Foundation Visual Arts Fellowship to a single recipient once every two years to the amount of $15,000.
The Fellowship objectives are to provide an opportunity for an artist to:
Make a creative contribution to contemporary visual arts in the City of Port Phillip by either/all of the following:
a) Conduct research and development that increases or expands a professional artist's skills or thinking, particularly towards producing a major artwork or works b) Produce an artwork/s that make significant contribution to the field of contemporary visual art c) Travel or take up a residency that enables the outcomes of any of the other objectives of the Fellowship.
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2007 RBFVAF Recipient: Valerie Sparks
Valerie Sparks' practice is inspired by the baroque aesthetic of French scenic wallpapers of the 1800's. Her work involves creating large scale hyper-real photographic landscapes. Through the RBF Valerie created landscapes using elements drawn from the natural and built environment of the CoPP, in particular the waterfront and surrounds.
Over the course of a year Sparks collected hundreds of photographs that documented the changes in weather and light, taking well-known elements of the City of Port Phillip, including St Kilda Pier Kiosk, St Kilda Town Hall, The Palais Theatre and the Catani Gardens. Sparks reassembled them to create images that are at once familiar and disorientating. All are lapped by water. Sparks included these elements in the work to create a multi-layered exploration of the changeability and juxtapositions present in this diverse and complex urban setting. Each piece of work includes elements from different locations, times of the day and seasons which creates a visual ambiguity and uncertaintly, disorienting the familiar
Luminist
An exhibition of massive, digitally enhanced photographs by Valerie Sparks, opens in St Kilda in the Alliance Française's ballroom on October 16, running to November 6.
Alliance Francais, 51 Grey Street, St Kilda Vic 3182
Image by Valerie Sparks
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Applying for RBFVAF in 2009
The 2009 RBFVAF will open for applications around July 2009. Attached is the 2007 application form from 2007, to view as a guide, however this may be updated for the 2009 round of applications.  rupert bunny foundation application form 2007 .
Tentative Key Dates
Early July 2009 - Applications Open
Mid August 2009 - Applications Close
Early October 2009 - Fellow Announced
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Important Links
If a proposal includes donating an artwork to the City of Port Phillip, the artwork must comply with  Port Phillip City Collection - Management Policy, contemporary visual art acquisition criteria and processes. Advice should be sought from the CoPP Curator.
If the submission includes a proposal to produce an urban artwork (a permanent or temporary outdoor art installation) on public or private land, the applicant must submit written 'in principal' approval, from the land owner or relevant authority, with their application. Please contact the CoPP Urban Art Officer to discuss. Visit the Urban Art page for more information.
If your proposal includes applying for six months tenancy of the Project Studio at the St Kilda Bowling Club Studio, please contact the CoPP Studio Coordinator to discuss. Visit the Art Spaces page for more information.
To view a list of previous recipients of the Visual Arts Fellowship and to access further information about the Rupert Bunny Foundation download the Background to the Rupert Bunny Foundation document.
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Contact Us
Use eServices to ask us a question, request information or give us feedback online. If you prefer call ASSIST on (03) 9209 6777 or TTy (03) 9209 6713 and ask for the Curator.
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