An artistic change for good
Thousands of 10-cent pieces will be given away as part of an interactive art installation in a vacant Nelson shop.
The coins are attached by glue to coloured paper, and each artwork is individually numbered.
They form the Small Change installation, which is part of Viewfinder, an artist-led project aiming to bring life back to empty shops in the CBD. A new Nelson artist will stage a new project every month.
Viewfinder project coordinator and contemporary jeweller Katie Pascoe said the coin artefacts were created by graphic designer Leigh Paterson and were designed as a project ‘‘for everybody’’.
‘‘It’s being playful with the idea of small change and positive change, and saying, ‘Hey, artists have something that’s good for the community’.’’ Paterson was also linking back to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s comments that the arts ‘‘are important for our wellbeing.’’
Pascoe said those lucky enough to get a coin could treat it as a piece of art, or as ‘‘small change that they can put in the parking meter or do what they will with’’.
Small Change is the third instalment in the pilot scheme designed to support the local arts community while also making the city more vibrant.
‘‘The community get to share in some local art practices and see some new fresh ideas on the street, and the artists have a chance to get to have a play in an experimental space,’’ Pascoe said.
‘‘It’s literally a window into their practice – it’s like a little snapshot. It’s not meant to be a fully fledged exhibition – it’s a small space in which the artists can give people a taster of an idea . . . and something new.’’
The Viewfinder project is funded and supported by Makeshift Spaces and the Creative Communities scheme, but Pascoe said it still needed community backing. She hoped to get funding for 2020, to back 10 more local artists.
‘‘I want to pay the artist’s fee and contribute to their materials so we get high-quality art, so we’re building and sustaining people’s art process.’’
Small Change is at 207 Trafalgar St, Nelson, and closes on November 19 at 9am. To donate to the Viewfinder project, visit pledgeme.co.nz.