headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF opens on Waiheke Is

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF opens today on Waiheke Island

WAIHEKE ISLAND, 22 January 2009 – headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF (www.sculptureonthegulf.co.nz), New Zealand’s premier outdoor sculpture exhibition, opens to the public today.

The event is held every two years on Waiheke Island, with works by New Zealand’s leading sculptors installed over two kilometres of the magnificent Matiatia-Church Bay walkway.

The 2009 exhibition features 26 sculptures and will run for three weeks from 22 January to 15 February 2009. The outdoor event is a visual extravaganza with sculptures placed strategically around the track to surprise the public and encourage interaction at specific locations.

Dilys Grant, Project Director, headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF says, “The idyllic setting provides people of all walks of life, both art enthusiasts and the general public, to interact and enjoy art beyond the confines of its ‘normal environment’ inside a gallery.

“headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF can be enjoyed by everyone; you can bring the dog, have a picnic among the sculptures, or just enjoy the stunning views of Auckland, Rangitoto and the Hauraki Gulf. And best of all, it’s free.”

Headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF formally gets underway at tonight’s official opening gala on the walkway itself, with more than 500 guests.

About headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF

headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF is New Zealand’s premier outdoor sculpture exhibition, held every two years to showcase the country’s leading sculptors. The event takes place on the magnificent two kilometer Matiatia–Church Bay coastal walkway, a public track administered by Auckland City, located at the western tip of Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf. The exhibition is a not-for-profit event and is free to the public.

In 2009, headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF will be held over a three week period from 23 January to 15 February 2009, and will feature 26 art works. During the previous event in 2007, more than 25,000 people visited the exhibition.
First held in 2003, headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF arose from a desire to host a sculptural event outside gallery walls in a way that would acknowledge, embrace and enhance the stunning coastal scenery of Waiheke Island.
Consequently, one of the main criteria for the selection of works is their appropriateness to the site; how they fit into the landscape; and what visual and physical connection, as well as interaction, they have with the environment.

Placing the works and the public under the sky, beside the sea, in valleys and on headlands, creates a unique opportunity to experience thought-provoking and innovative works for sale by New Zealand’s leading sculptors in a stunning location.

More information on headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF is available at www.sculptureonthegulf.co.nz

ENDS

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