Students unlock creative spirits
Whanganui Creative Space - an art studio working with diverse abilities and mental wellbeing - is exhibiting the work of its students as part of Artists Open Studios.
The groups have been tutored by local artist Brydee Rood and assistant Amla Meijer.
“We work with different groups from the community, and a lot of them come from Te Oranganui and IDEA Services,” Rood said.
“There are also individuals who come with support workers and/or on their own.
“We work with people with different disabilities, special needs and mental health streams.”
There are two sessions per day, every Wednesday and Thursday, with some artists staying right the way through.
Rood submitted an application to the Creative Communities Scheme to fund a project for Artists Open Studios, which resulted in the acquirement of 120 canvases for students to use.
They began working on the exhibition three months ago.
“The exhibition is called ‘Unlocked’, which is a bit of a play (on words) - it’s about coming through lockdown and reflecting on that time last year and what inspired us, but also about unlocking our creative spirit,” Rood said.
“Sometimes that stays inside us and doesn’t get a chance to come out.
“Everyone’s understandings and interpretations are different, because we work with such a diverse array of needs and abilities.”
Rood said there had been more of a “crafty approach” at the space in the past, with “materials out on the table and everyone doing the same thing”.
“I really wanted to open that up and start the practice of drawing and painting, and letting people articulate their own direction.
“Hopefully, this is a place where these guys can express themselves, because it’s been a joy and a privilege to be their art tutor.”
Contributing artist Jake
Montgomery, who has been coming to the classes for the past four years, painted a ‘share bear’ and a ‘chair bear’ for the exhibition, and said he drew inspiration from children’s TV programmes.
“I draw and paint them onto canvas sheets or wooden boards, because I like the characters and the way they look,” Montgomery said.
Adam Stevens painted two pieces for the exhibition, one of which is a bright pink canvas with grey flecks - his story of Covid-19.
“That’s a story I wrote about lockdown, which I got through OK,” Stevens said.
“The next thing I’ll work on will be something to do with the housing crisis.”
For Leonie Young, painting was something she “couldn’t do very well” to start with, but she has now created a number of different works, including two for the ‘Unlocked” exhibition.
“They represent the positive and the negative side (of lockdown),” Young said.
She goes to the Whanganui Creative Space with her husband, Tony.
“I’ve just drawn the Dublin Street bridge for the first time, and my first sunset.”
Susan Hills said she had already sold two of her works during Artists Open Studios, including a painting of Poppy, her friend’s dog.
“I was asking myself, “is it going to sell, is it going to go?’, and then it did,” Hills said.
“I’ve been working on some owls, but next up I think I might do my cat, Cocoa.”