New Artists Add Talent and Enthusiasm to Open Studio Tours (correction to dates)

Apologies, in our earlier media release it stated the dates for this event were in February, please see corrections below.

The Mercury Bay Art Escape Trust’s annual Artists’ Open Studios event is coming up during the first two weekends of March (4 and 5 March, 11 and 12 March 2017).

A pop-up gallery will be set up in the Ray White Auction Rooms, Monk Street, Whitianga. Art Escape has invited guest artists from around the Coromandel Peninsula to exhibit their work at this venue as well as emerging artists.

Stuart Christie, the Trust’s Chair, said “this is an exciting initiative which will reach out to, and include, artists beyond the Mercury Bay as well as provide emerging artists an opportunity to gauge public interest and receive feedback.”

This year the Trust is delighted to introduce new member artists together with two art groups.

The new individual members are Sue Preston from Tairua, Vanessa Mckay from Whenuakite, Ian Preece from Kuaotunu and Kay Evison, Monique Rush and Pam Mundell all from Whitianga.

Sue’s work embraces print etching and dry point engraving, Vanessa works with earthenware clays for both sculptural pieces as well as domestic ware, and Ian’s photography on mixed media focuses on his beloved Coromandel Peninsula. Kay paints with acrylics in a variety of styles and colours as well as creating dichroic fused glass pendants, Monique’s acrylics are colourful and bold often with a Kiwiana, Maori or Pasifica theme, while Pam uses a variety of media to capture a particular moment and explore light in both her landscape and portrait painting.

The other guest artists will be Jocelyn Pratt from Tapu, an established New Zealand stone sculptor and Sally Tennent Brown. Jocelyn prefers to work with local stone to create tactile restful gentle forms while Sally who lives in Coromandel, works with diverse materials from heavy jute cordage to delicate threads home-spun from strips of found paper & dress-making patterns, the outcomes of which Sally describes as being often rather whimsical. Gretha Whyte from Whangamata discovered the magic of wool and silk fibres about six years ago and loves experimenting with colour in her felting and weaving. Riki Tipene, also from Whangamata, draws his inspiration from the magnificent korowai (cloak) of native forest, waterways and te moana (ocean) of this area for his sculpture and paintings. In contrast, the creations of Paul and Kathy Heffernan from Thames, are wall-mounted whacky ceramic characters – explorers, dreamers and schemers - created with bright underglazes.

The two emerging artists featuring in the pop-up gallery will be Melinda Rapson, a Whitecliff College graduate who works mainly with acrylic paints and mixed media, and photographer, Matthew Williams from Whitianga who focuses on capturing quiet scenes which otherwise do not have a voice, by using film and analog cameras.

The two new “group” additions are the Whitianga and the Hikuai Art Groups. The Whitianga Group will exhibit an array of artwork as varied and colourful as the artists themselves using a whole mix of media from oils and acrylics to watercolours and pastels. The Hikuai Art Group has met regularly since 2007 enjoying the mutual company and support of each other with their creative work. They provide a focus on painting and mixed media as well as flax weaving, and will be exhibiting a wide variety of work.

The pop-up gallery will be open 4th - 5th, and 11th - 12 March, 10am-4pm each day.

There will also be a Gala Opening of the Showcase Exhibition at Hot Waves Café, Hot Water Beach on Friday 3 March at 7.30pm as well as celebrating ten years of Artists’ Open Studios.

Guests of and visitors to the exhibition are invited to take part in the “People’s Choice Award” by casting their vote for their favourite work and by so doing, support both the Art Escape and the member artists.

The exhibition closes on 17 March and more information including tickets for this event are available online at www.mercurybayartescape.com.

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