Celebrating Whanganui art in a time of Covid

Our city is a place where innovation thrives, you only have to look around to see it

Ihave noted that reporting about our fair city is improving from the old days where, at times, we were sneered at by outsiders (and unfortunately some insiders). This is because all throughout our community there are people making a daily positive difference.

This spans from events, such as last weekend’s Artists Open Studios, to businesses making their mark on the international and national stages.

The Artists Open Studios is a great example showing that there is much more to Whanganui and opportunities such as this highlight good news stories that need to be grasped with both hands.

Whanganui is a place where innovation thrives and many of the works on display are testament to that.

Artists are embracing the jewellery and beautiful artworks bring to life her background from Africa and Europe.

Each artist we visited was unique and had what amounted to a business model with core values at the heart.

The thing that I would like to do is harness that so thousands can readily experience their talents, rather than wait for a year for the AOS (so I am putting my mind to it).

But the benefits of the AOS doesn’t stop at being an opportunity for artists to show their work. It brings visitors and other economic utility and does not stop there. The various venues like Space Gallery and their resident artists provide another aspect that benefits the economy and the community.

If you are visiting Space, check out the work of Michael Haggie, very cool nostalgic pieces that took me back to my youth growing up here.

It is well documented we live in a time of economic contraction and that businesses are withdrawing or passing on opportunities.

However, the unique work of our local artists highlights that there is innovation and creativity moving in the opposite and positive direction and it is from these and other seeds that the wider economic recovery will grow.