Art riot expected in Parnell this Tuesday

Art riot expected in Parnell this Tuesday

Parnell, Auckland’s Creative Quarter, is anticipating rioting in the street on Tuesday as crowds of art lovers jostle for the chance to buy affordable art.

Sanderson Contemporary Art Gallery is holding its third annual "150 x 150 x 150" exhibition, selling works by 24 artists, all 150mm x 150mm, for just $150 each. Doors open on Tuesday 9 March at 5.30pm.

Last year, the queue of art bargain hunters and fans blocked the footpath for a hundred metres. When doors opened there were tense scenes inside the gallery as people ran to claim their favourite pieces.

“Not many suburbs can boast art lovers queuing to buy art,” said Debbie Harkness, Creative Quarter Manager, for Parnell Inc., Parnell’s business association.

“With the excitement around this exhibition, we’re expecting an even greater melee this year. I wouldn’t be surprised to see people staking out the opening with sleeping bags and deck chairs on the footpath, especially when some of the artworks are worth up to ten times more than their $150 price tag,” she said.

“Parnell Inc.’s decision to re-brand the area as ‘the Creative Quarter’ last year was spot on,” Ms Harkness said. “In addition to being Auckland’s creative and design industry hub, Parnell continues to be Auckland’s no.1 art destination. Our dealer galleries represent a wide range of artists, from the iconic to the up-and-coming. While serious collectors have never stopped buying from Parnell, exhibitions like the ‘150 x 150 x 150’ at Sanderson’s provide an exciting format to encourage first time buyers.”

Gallery director, Kylie Sanderson’s innovative idea to entice budding art collectors has been a huge success with many ‘150 x 150 x 150’ clients continuing to build on their collections after their initial purchases. “Many people are not able to outlay large sums of money buying art, especially in this climate, and the show offers a unique opportunity to acquire works from up and coming as well as established artists,” Sanderson said. Up to 200 works of art from a range of Sanderson’s artists are on offer. “Last year more than 40 works sold in 10 minutes and we’re expecting an even bigger response this year,” she said.

Sanderson Contemporary Art will be open late on Thursday, 11 March as part of Parnell’s Late Night Art. Parnell’s galleries stay open until 7.30pm on the second Thursday of each month for Late Night Art. The sociable event, with many galleries offering visitors wine and canapes, centres on the cluster of galleries located in the centre of Parnell Road: Pierre Peeters Gallery (formerly Aesthete Gallery), ARTIS Gallery, essenze, Mana Gallery, International Art Centre, Jonathan Grant Galleries, Pankhurst Studio Gallery, Parnell Gallery and Sanderson Contemporary Art, with Bath Street and Warwick Henderson Galleries also taking part and all open for viewing until 7.30pm.

“Late Night Art encourages people to peruse Parnell’s galleries and learn more about art, often with artists on hand to discuss their work. We’re delighted that the evenings have proved very popular with art investment groups,” Ms Harkness said. “Of course we’d encourage visitors to make a night of it and enjoy a dinner at one of Parnell’s superb restaurants while they’re here!”

The 150 x 150 x 150 exhibition opens at Sanderson Contemporary Art, 251 Parnell Road (ph 374 4476) on Tuesday 9 March and runs for five days only until Sunday, 14 March.

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