Page 8 - pākuViews Summer 2013

6 PAKU VIEWS ISSUE 6 SUMMER 2013
The
Great
Escape...
Coromandel artists offer
sneak peak behind studio walls
The only event of its kind in the area, the now-annual
Mercury Bay Art Escape (MBAE) Open Studio
Tour has fast become a cultural “must-do” on the
Coromandel calendar. 2013 promises to be the best
— and the biggest — yet.
The “self-drive” tour stretches from Tairua to Otama in
the Eastern Coromandel District. It offers an incredible
opportunity for both visitors and residents to not only
interact with local artists in their work spaces, but to
purchase art works direct from the source.
The Launch: The Art Escape Tour “Opening Party” is
5:30 pm, Friday, March 1st at Hot Waves Café. Here
you can the meet the artists, preview their art, and
make notes of those you want to visit. Enjoy fantastic
food and superb wines while being entertained by
local musical talent. (Tickets only $40, available on
mercurybayartescape.com or Hot Waves Café.)
Can’t make the tour launch party? Stop by the cafe
anytime in March for this wide-angle view of the best of
the area’s art.
The Tour Weekends: During the following two
weekends of March (2/3 and 9/10), over 50 selected
sculptors, painters, felters, potters, carvers, jewellers
and mixed-media artists open their studios from 10
am–4 pm. Several local cafes and galleries also act as
exhibition spaces, so even your meals on the road can
be “art-infused”. (Check venue listing in the Guide Book.)
Artist studios: as unique as each artist
Many artists consider their studios their retreat, their
sanctuary, their laboratory. And even if an artist paints
en plein air initially, the works are often finished in the
studio.
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
the work, adding layers to a viewer’s appreciation and
understanding.
You never know what you will learn about an artist
and their process while visiting and engaging in
conversation. However, just as intriguing can be what the
artist learns about the art lovers.
Paula McNeill, popular Tairua artist, says, “I enjoy
sharing my work because it strikes up conversations
about the uniqueness of creativity; I get to share what
inspires me and the pleasure it offers. Perhaps, what is
stimulating (for me) and enjoyed by most artists, is to
hear others tell their story about what inspires them to
be creative”.
This issue’s cover artist Rachel Olsen also appreciates
the studio visitors, “They get to see my ‘process’ from
ideas to drawings, through to works in progress and new
paintings on the walls. I usually work alone, so having
visitors is a valuable opportunity for useful feedback.
I have made some wonderful new friends and
connections from far and wide!”
Supporting the Local Art Scene
The Coromandel region, known for its natural beauty
and relaxed lifestyle, has long been known as a “mecca”
for artisans and MBAE’s goal is to help promote and
support them.
This year, the committee formally acknowledged the
work of 16 new artists by inviting them to participate.
“MBAE relies on volunteers including a Board of 6
Trustees and an Artists’ Advisory Committee, plus
income from commercial sponsorship, donations, and
fundraising to operate”, says Administrator Charlotte
Giblin (former director of Wallace Gallery in Morrinsville).
Your purchase of the Tour Guide and participation in
the MBAE fundraisers (the Opening Night Party and
January’s Long Lunch Auction) help support this unique
cultural event.
“It’s been stimulating to meet the artists one-by-one as
well as view their studios,” says Charlotte recalling a few
intriguing ones. She mentions the Whenuakite studio of
Airdrie Hamilton, who painted the delightful fantail for the
PakuViews 2012 Autumn cover.
“Airdrie and Rick Swain (Whitianga) both have studios
set up in old shop buildings that have been preserved
with heaps of history attached. Airdrie bought hers and
had it moved to her farm, where it sits as a stand-alone
studio building, a living museum, of sorts.
“The Kuaotunu studios are always fun to visit because
they seem worlds away, even from Whitianga. Lutz
Gaebler’s studio is down the side of a hill, buried in the
bush, a private artistic haven next to a stream and his
veggie patch. Also of note is Pauline Stott’s studio on
Pumpkin Hill. Their property will be featured in ‘House
and Garden NZ’ right before the Tour!”
It’s no surprise that this free, interactive art journey
increases in popularity each year. Mark the dates in
your diary and pick up a Tour Guide to start planning
your “great escape”.
“What a great excuse for a fun artsy outing. There’s a veritable treasure trove of artistic talent right
here on our doorsteps, and the Art Escape’s an open door invitation to discover it. On the last tour,
a girlfriend and I had a delicious lunch at Colenso before visiting several studios on the tour. At
Paula McNeill’s Pumpkin Hill studio, I bought an original painting titled ‘Red Shadows’. It’s about the
connections we make with the people we cross paths with: some fleeting like passing ships, while
others cross and recross our lives at different times and places.
“This year we plan to make a weekend of it, and I’m keen to get a Susan Dunster work;
I particularly like her papier-mache artworks”. — Rowena Brown
The Mercury Bay
Art Escape: The Guide
This convenient A6-size manual
includes photographs of artwork;
a portrait, contact details and
short biography of each artist; and
information about MBAE plus details
of a host of great Cafes, Galleries
and B&Bs in the area. Easy-to-follow
maps are found toward the front of
the Guide for handy reference when
embarking on your self-drive tour. It
will prove an invaluable year round
reference manual.
Purchase your guide through the
MBAE website and at a host of
participating cafes and galleries in
the area.
March 2-3 & March 9-10 mercurybayartescape.com
Artists in order from top left:
Kate Hill, Tairua
Michael Smither, Otama
Meg Auth, Hahei
Airdrie Hamilton, Whenuakite
Paula McNeill, Tairua
Liz Hart, Tairua
Rick Swain, Whitianga
Susan Dunster, Tairua
Jill Cameron, Cooks Beach
Christine Hatton, Tairua
ARTS