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5-6 & 12-13 March
10am till 4pm
FREE
Self-Drive Tours
BOTH TOURS SELL HANDSOME GUIDEBOOKS – SEE TOUR ARTICLES FOR INFO.
COROMANDEL ARTSTOUR
2 ART
STUDIO
TOURS
ON THE COROMANDEL
DISCOVER A
VARIETY OF
ART TREASURES
AND MEET THE
PEOPLE WHO
CREATE THEM
TOUR LAUNCHES WITH FRIDAY NIGHT ARTFEST!
TASTE of the TOUR
Hot Waves Café in Hot Water Beach will again host the official opening of the ‘Taste of the Tour’
Showcase Exhibition on Friday 4 March at 5:30pm.
Attendees are treated to live music, fantastic food, and superb wines from sponsor Tohu Wines. Matt
Gauldie – artist, sculptor and official NZ Defence Forces Artist – is the exciting guest speaker.
The art exhibited at the cafe will feature a piece of work from every Art Escape member (including
those not opening their studios to visitors this year) plus a painting by the 2015 Scholarship winner
Emily Boswell (see page 10). Most of the artists will attend, so it’s a great time to make personal
connections prior to the studio tour days.
Stay till the end of the evening to see who is awarded the ‘Artists Choice Award’, as voted by the
artists themselves. Last year’s winner was Paula McNeill, founder of Little Gallery of Fine Arts in
Tairua, for her painting “Stepping through Time”. Attendees were amused as she was given her
award, a gift certificate from The Little Gallery, presented to her own daughter Sarah Holden.
Vote for your favourite work for the ‘People’s Choice Award’ any time during the cafe’s month-long
exhibition; the winner will be announced at the end of the exhibition. Last year’s winners – a tie –
were Christine Bannan and Martinus Sarangapany, both of Hahei.
Buy tickets early – at the MBAE website or at the cafe – for this special event is always a sell out.
T he Coromandel region, known for its
stunning natural beauty and relaxed
lifestyle, has long been known as a
‘mecca’ for artisans producing a wide range of
local art including paintings, sculpture, carvings,
pottery, handcrafted wooden furniture, felting
and fashion clothing, flax work, foundry work,
and jewellery.
These two self-guided tours – MERCURY BAY
ART ESCAPE in March, and COROMANDEL
ARTSTOUR in April – offer an incredible
opportunity for both visitors and residents to not
only interact with local artists in their creative
work spaces, but to purchase art works direct
from the source.
Celebrated and emerging talents have granted
access to their studios offering a compelling
‘behind-the-scenes’ glimpse into their artistic
processes. This is your opportunity to get
‘up close and personal’. Visit 36 studios that
will open for the MBAE and over 30 for the
Coromandel Artstour.
Seeing the brushes, paints, raw materials,
the sculpting and etching tools – the way an
artspace is set up, lit, and accessed – can
lend great insight into an artist and their work,
adding layers to a viewer’s appreciation and
understanding.
It’s no wonder the popularity of these self-
directed art tours grows each year. You will find
unique studios in historic buildings, enchanting
cottages, sheds buried in the bush, a classic
bach, or an airy garage. The tours include
remote rugged locations, as well as those in
town. Where will your tour take you?
Featuring 36 open studios
The Mercury Bay Art Escape Open Studio Tour showcases the outstanding artistic talent of both
established and emerging artists from Kuaotunu to Tairua on the Eastern Coromandel Peninsula.
Held on the first two weekends of March each year, it is an ideal opportunity to meet the local
artists in their creative work spaces. Experience their working environment, hear their stories, one-
to-one, and purchase direct from the artist. The artistic talent on show from 36 artists is diverse
and colourful and includes a range of mediums including hand-forged knives, pottery, mosaics,
print, sculpture, painting, wood carving, furniture, glass, mixed media, photography and jewellery.
“The Mercury Bay Art Escape Trust is proud to share this unique annual line-up of creativity,” says
MBAE administrator Marion Manson. “And we invite you to be a part of this memorable event.
While entry to studios is free, we recommended you purchase the updated 2016 Guide.”
Gather family or friends for a weekend to experience the very best Mercury Bay has to offer in
arts and culture, vineyards, breweries, cafes and world class scenery.
9-10 & 16-17 April
10am till 4pm
Tour is FREE
Downloadable PDF map available
New
this
year
to the
tour...
Hans-Leo Peters of Whitianga has been winning
international jewellry awards (33 of them) since
1965. Over that lengthy career, Hans-Leo has
developed many
styles and has
invented new
techniques of
goldsmithing. In
2007 he invented
the Sky Sculptures,
Braille Art in Third
Dimension.
Mercury Bay
Guest speaker MATT GAULDIE: a modern day ‘war artist’
Guest speaker for the Friday night ‘Taste of the Tour’ is Matt Gauldie,
who recently installed his impressive bronze sculpture of Sapper
Moore-Jones in Hamilton. The Victoria St statue represents the
soldier/artist who served with the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces
in Gallipoli. Moore-Jones’s painting of ‘Simpson and his Donkey’ is
perhaps the most endearing of the Anzac paintings of WWI.
continued on page 10
8 COROMANDEL LIFE 2016 SUMMER/EASTER