Just as the ANU School of Art Grad Show symbolically closes the end of the art year in Canberra, Blaze, the Canberra Contemporary Art Space’s emerging artist showcase, begins a new one. Pretty well all of Canberra’s best art exports have exhibited in one of these over the last five years, so it’s the way to get to know your product. I co-curated Blaze 4 in 2010 so can’t wait to see what this year’s curators, Annika Harding and Alex Boynes, have rustled up.

Blaze 5 artists are: Emma Beer, Chris Carmody, Tim Dwyer, Daniel Edwards, Natalie Mather, Suzanne Moss and Daniel Vukovljak. Interesting to see such a heavy representation from painters in this mix – the first time in a long while.

The exhibition opens 6pm tomorrow night, Friday February 18, at CCAS Gorman House. Get in early as it will be huge. More info, and excerpts from Harding’s excellent catalogue essay, at the CCAS site HERE.