Creative spaces capsule lands at Wellington’s Fringe

Creative spaces capsule lands at Wellington’s Fringe

An exhibition that travelled from Invercargill to Auckland, collecting artworks from community-based creative spaces along the way, opens at the Gryphon Theatre in Wellington on 15 February as part of the New Zealand Fringe.

A conversation between two art tutors at Creative Spaces 2020, a conference organised by Arts Access Aotearoa in May 2016, sparked an idea that developed into a touring exhibition called the Creative Spaces Capsule Project.

Menno Huibers, an art tutor at Pablos Art Studios in Wellington, and Benton Glassey, an art tutor at Studio2/Margaret Freeman Gallery in Dunedin, are the exhibition “cosmonauts”. After the Wellington exhibition, the 16 artworks will travel to Dunedin and be exhibited from 9 to 18 March during the Dunedin Fringe.

“The main idea behind the exhibition was to bring together the creative spaces community across New Zealand,” Menno says. “It was also about empowering the spaces to do their own promotion and showcase the cool art being made by artists who work from these spaces.”

Menno says he enjoyed working with Benton to manage the long-distance project. It involved good communication skills, planning and making connections.

“It’s been a stress-free project and shows what can be achieved when everyone gets on board,” he says.

Sixteen creative spaces participated in the project, which was launched by C.S. Arts in Invercargill in July 2016 with one work: Sea, Mountains, Sky, Land by Lee Harland. From there, it travelled to Dunedin, Wellington, Hutt City, Paraparaumu, Masterton, Wanganui and Rotorua, arriving in Auckland in December.

The 16 artworks were exhibited in the Toi Ora Gallery in Grey Lynn throughout January.

Richard Benge, Executive Director, Arts Access Aotearoa remembers how the initiative started. “It’s been great to see how a creative conversation between two art tutors at the conference was developed into this innovative exhibition. I’m looking forward to seeing all 16 worksgathered in the one space.”

Menno says if he did the project again, he’d be keen to include other artforms such as performance and creative writing.

Everyone is welcome to attend the opening at 6pm and an event at 8pm, celebrating Gryphon Theatre’s fifth anniversary of its involvement in the NZ Fringe.

Creative spaces are organisations where people are supported to make art and participate in artistic activities. Artists may have a disability, lived experience of mental ill health or may need a boost to improve their health and wellbeing through art. Creative spaces provide space, resources and assistance in ways that will lead to self-expression, empowerment and self-development.

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