Face To Face Portrait Festival Announces Boutique Line-up Of Talented NZ Musicians For Late Night Event On 29 May

Curated by the CubaDupa programming team, the Late Night event fuses art and music for an extraordinary evening of talent

The Capital’s new visual arts festival, Face to Face Portrait Festival, funded by the Wellington City Council’s City Recovery Fund, has announced its full programme of free art events, including the full-line up of musicians for the Late Night event. Taking place on Saturday 29 May, the Late Night invites the public to experience the very best in contemporary New Zealand art and music. Enjoy performances by celebrated musicians in an intimate art gallery setting.

Curated by the award-winning programming team behind CubaDupa, the performances have been selected to reflect each individual gallery and exhibition and include solo artists, duos and trios, playing a mixture of genres from delicate, intimate ensembles to Taonga Pūoro performances, to layers of live loops. Featuring celebrated senior musicians such as grammy award-winning soloist Jerome Kavanagh, alongside new talents like Zoe Moon and Miles Calder, the Late Night lineup represents the breadth of Aotearoa’s musical talent.

Spread across nine galleries located within walking distance in Wellington city, the public will be able to catch several performances over the course of the evening, with each gallery hosting three performances at 5.30pm, 6.30pm and 7.30pm. The public can pick up a map from any of the participating galleries ahead of the event or on the day and plan their walking route between galleries.

The evening will kick-off with a special early performance at 4.30pm at New Zealand Portrait Gallery by Warren Maxwell, the driving force behind many musical projects, including platinum selling group Trinity Roots and psychedelic blues quartet Little Bushman. Warren recently undertook a sonic art residency in Antarctica and will be performing his solo loop set.

Bartley & Company Art will play host to female-led band Ida Lune. Composed of members Deanne Krieg (WHIM, Dawn Diver), Rose Blake (Blaek, Dawn Diver) and Anna Wooles, Ida Lune fuses jazz, classical, and electronic music to create detailed three part harmonies and interweaving melodies which are enhanced by layers of synth and strings (banjo, mandolin, guitar and more).

At Bowen Galleries audiences will be taken on a musical journey by Mo etc. (Ngai Tahu, Ngāti Whatua Orākei). Known for her work with Platonic/Romantic and Fly My Pretties, Mo etc. will play an acoustic set.

Fledgling, Hawaiian born, Aotearoa bred, solo artist Zoe Moon will fill Jhana Millers Gallery with a spellbinding performance. Zoe blends elements of old and new to create what she calls, 'Folk RnB', her very own kind of alchemy. Truth seeking with a keen ear for harmony, a dynamic stage presence and an insightful sense of lyricism, her songs explore the interpersonal nuances of identity, life and self-love.

At Mcleavey Gallery, Wallace will be playing her homecoming performance after spending time overseas touring with the likes of Little Simz (UK), Jordan Rakei (AU/UK), Gabriel Garzon Montano (USA) Masego (USA) and Electric Wire Hustle (NZ). Wallace’s music has been described as a vibrant mosaic of soul, hip-hop and pop. Her trademark jazz-influenced vocals and magnetic presence demonstrate her evolution as a songwriter to watch.

Miles Calder will perform tracks from his recently released debut almn Autopilot Life at Page Galleries. Ranging from psychedelia and folk to rock and pop, Miles evokes early John Lennon and late-era Beatles as much as contemporaries like Kevin Morby and Father John Misty.

Performing at {Suite} Gallery is sound artist, Thomas Voyce (DJ DTRV) who is interested in experimental dub, ambient music and environmental sound composition. He will be curating a series of recordings at the fringes of electronic music through the New Zealand School of Music's Te Kōkī Hi Fi Soundsystem.

The T-Bone Trio, known for their unique brand of zydeco, old-time and blues will perform at Solander Gallery. Featuring a line up of talented musicians playing mandolins, banjos, guitars and double bass and powerhouse harmonies that will guarantee to have toes tapping.

Finally, Taonga Pūoro specialist and grammy award-winning soloist Jerome Kavanagh (Mōkai Pātea, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Kahungunu) will shares his collection of unique and rare Māori musical instruments, from the Nguru (whale's tooth nose flute), to the Kōauau Toroa (albatross wing bone flute) in a family-friendly, educational performance at Toi Māori Aotearoa.

Part of a wider Festival programme spanning exhibitions, performances, talks, behind-the-scenes tours and interactive workshops, the Late Night is one of several events taking place throughout the city from 27-30 May 2021. With something for all members of the whanau and for seasoned art enthusiasts to people just getting started on their art journey, this new visual arts festival is not to be missed. For more information visit www.portraitfestival.co.nz/events.

The full programme will go live on Thursday 13 May at www.portraitfestival.co.nz/events.

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