Island art trail attracts record numbers

19 February 2013

headland Sculpture On The Gulf

Island art trail attracts record numbers

Smashed attendance records and a multiple award winner distinguish the 2013 headland Sculpture on the Gulf exhibition which wound up on Sunday (17 February) on Auckland’s Waiheke Island.

More than 45,000 people walked the picturesque sculpture trail during the three-and-half-week biennial exhibition, up 40 per cent on 2011.

And for the first time in its 10 year history the premier award winner’s sculpture has also been the most popular with visitors.

Gregor Kregar’s imposing Pavilion Structure is the winner of the Lexus Premier Award also taking out the Fullers People’s Choice Award. Slovenia-born Kregar assembled building site detritus in a work described as “organic (and) having a bird’s nest quality”. He wins a cash grant of $20,000.

Other winners include A play’’CATWALK’ by Kazu Nakagawa and ‘Field Notes’ by Carolyn Williams, which each gained merit awards of $10,000 sponsored by Westpac and Gen-i.

‘Potrait of Traction and Transmission’ by David McCracken won the Parsons Brinckerhoff Award for Engineering Excellence , receiving $5,000.

headland Sculpture on the Gulf chairman Stephen Tozer says it has been a great way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Waiheke Community Art Gallery’s biennial sculpture exhibition.

“The figures show it has been a stellar year for the exhibition,” he says. “The financial support from sponsors, friends and patrons and local businesses has been considerably higher in 2013 and 45,000 people have walked the picturesque sculpture trail. “The event has had tremendous support from the media and at (number of sculptures sold), significantly more sculptures have been bought than ever before.”

However, Mr Tozer says record attendance numbers and arts sales are only part of the headland story in 2013.

“The major innovation this year has been the 700 square metre pavilion at Matiatia, which has proved a huge success. It’s a stylish structure, cleverly divided into a number of different spaces and featured a small sculpture gallery, a café restaurant and bars.”

Mr Tozer says the objective for 2013 had been to offer visitors a wider taste of Waiheke.

“Art, quality food and wine, and excellent service have proved a winning combination. A full programme of music featuring mostly Waiheke musicians has also played a major part, and look at the location, it’s stunning.

“I think we’ve achieved our objective. Visitors have loved having somewhere to relax after the walk and the way the local community has also embraced the event has been great. From all the feedback we’ve had I think everyone has found the exhibition itself is better than ever,” Mr Tozer says.

Kate and Mike Baverstock from Howick took in the trail on the event’s last day describing it as “fantastic, the best ever”.

“This is the third one I’ve been to and it really has been the best ever; I’ll be back in two years that’s for sure,” Mrs Baverstock says.

The final weekend of headland Sculpture on the Gulf was particularly busy with Fullers putting on extra ferries at half hourly intervals instead of hourly. Thousands of people took advantage of Auckland’s glorious weekend weather to take the 45 min ferry ride.

Mr Tozer says the event has exceeded all his expectations and the organising board extends its thanks to everyone involved and all visitors for their support.

“See you in 2015,” he says.

The headland Sculpture on the Gulf numbers (2011 in parenthesis):
• Total visitors: 45,000 (30,000)
• Number of sculptures sold: 9
• Highest price paid: $75,000 for Traction and Transmission by David McCracken
• Total sculptures on trail: 30
• Length of trail: 2.5 kms.

ENDS

© Scoop Media