Seatoun club keeps faith in arts and crafts
A group of young mothers knitting in a neighbour’s garage in 1973 marked the humble beginnings of Seatoun Arts and Crafts.
The group meets monthly, and is due to hold its annual exhibition this weekend.
Club committee member Edith Campbell, who has been with the club since ‘‘not far off from the beginning’’, said the first exhibition in 1978 was held in the spacious St George’s church hall in Rongotai. That year the hall was demolished and the group moved to Seatoun village hall, where they remain.
Another scare came when the Presbyterian church closed but film-maker Sir Peter Jackson bought the church and the hall, and the group was allowed to stay.
‘‘We have definitely had our ups and downs but we are on an up now,’’ Campbell said.
‘‘In the early days most of the young mothers did not work and so they had time to be part of this.’’ Older people were the bulk of the club’s membership now.
‘‘It doesn’t have to be a professional thing, and that is the trouble of course. People think: Well if you can’t make money from it …’’
Despite a decline in numbers over the years, Campbell said she hoped the club would remain and numbers had picked up a little in recent months. ‘‘There has been a revival recently of people being interested, for example, in knitting,’’ she said.
At the Seatoun exhibition this weekend, people could buy something for $5 or $800.
The exhibition was for people to share the joy of arts and crafts, and make a little money from their passion.
After nearly half a century, the club is still dedicated to encouraging young talent.
St Patrick’s College student Tyler Florance, 17, was been awarded the annual prize of $150 donated by the club and Gordon Harris for his work with watercolour. Campbell said the prize, first awarded in 1985, was to encourage people to continue making art into adulthood.
‘‘There is a big emphasis these days on getting qualifications for some sort of job, and the arts can be seen as not entirely pertinent.’’
Part of the prize is a membership to the club, offered to year 12 students from Wellington High School, St Catherine’s College, Wellington East Girls’ College, St Patrick’s College, and Rongotai College.
Florance’s work would also be on display. ‘‘I have always been interested in New Zealand nature, especially birds.’’ It wasn’t a popular subject but those who took art were talented in a variety of styles, he said.
The Seatoun Arts and Crafts exhibition opens today at 7pm, and runs Saturday and Sunday 10am-4pm at the Village Hall, Forres St, Seatoun.