Sydney, 25 September 2017: Clayton Utz has forged a new partnership – The Clayton Utz Art Partnership – to support Australian artists and share their talents with a wider audience through regular six-monthly art exhibitions and an Artist-in-Residence program at the firm's 1 Bligh Street premises in Sydney.
Launched with a cocktail function on Monday 18 September, the opening exhibition features 37 artworks by figurative artist Wendy Sharpe. An internationally acclaimed artist, Wendy has received numerous prestigious scholarships and awards including The Sulman Prize (1986) and The Archibald Prize (1996).
Wendy's exhibition is complemented by 30 artworks from Clara Adolphs, a figurative artist who is emerging across the Australian arts scene and was the recent recipient of the 2017 Eva Breuer Travelling Art Scholarship.
Clara will also participate in the firm's inaugural Artist-in-Residence program. For the duration of her exhibition, she will work regularly from a modified workspace at the firm's Sydney premises, which is renowned for its design and use of natural light.
Clayton Utz Deputy Chief Executive Partner Bruce Cooper said the new partnership was an innovative concept, offering a unique cultural experience for the firm's clients and people.
"Art has incredible power to connect people through conversation, and we are already seeing this from the launch of The Clayton Utz Art Partnership. It is generating conversations between us and our clients, deepening relationships with them beyond the day-to-day management of legal issues," said Bruce. "We are offering our clients and employees a truly immersive cultural experience — through our Artist-in-Residence program and the various events we are scheduling during each exhibition period, we are opening up a rare opportunity to get up-close and personal with the featured artists and their artwork, to see them at work and to hear first-hand about what inspires their particular style."
Bruce added that the new venture bolstered the firm's longstanding commitment to the Australian cultural landscape and arts community.
"We are now into our second year of partnering with the Australian String Quartet, and the tenth year of our prominent Clayton Utz Art Award which offers a $10,000 annual prize for artists with a strong connection to Queensland. The Clayton Utz Arts Partnership is another way for us to nurture Australian talent and we are hoping to grow and expand this program to our other offices."
The Clayton Utz Art Partnership is managed and curated by 3:33 Art Projects.