CAN Christmas Market returns
When we reach this time of year, it’s customary to say “where has this year gone?” . . . but really, where has it gone? We’ve almost reached the 11th month, and thoughts of Christmas merriment, presents lists and putting up the tree are starting to dance around in everyone’s heads. With this in mind, I have some exciting news to report — the popular CAN Christmas Market is returning this year and promises to be overflowing with locally made art and craft delights. Our aim is to showcase quality work from emerging artists and designers, craftspeople and artisans who wish to take advantage of the festive season for extra sales.
If you are a local artisan who would like to take part, please email us an image of the work you wish to sell with the form you can download from the CAN website www.thecan.co.nz to bookings@thecan.co.nz. We’ve set the limit on prices not to exceed $100, making the quality art on offer affordable and accessible. We’re using the CAN’s beautiful Main Gallery, so there’ll be one metre wall spaces as well as half tables for just $40 for three weeks, with larger spaces and whole tables also available at $80. CAN’s commission is 30 per cent on sales plus we’ll take care of all the money transactions.
The CAN will do extensive marketing for you and promotion, including featuring individual artist’s profiles on the Creative Arts Napier Facebook page. Bookings for the space available fills up fast, so don’t delay. The market will be open from Friday, December 7 for three weeks, and will be celebrated with a preview event at 5pm-7pm on the same date.
Open now in the Main Gallery and subject to a great deal of interest is UKU Clay Hawke’s Bay which is a new biennial National Ceramic Award to be held in the Hawke’s Bay region. It is a selected exhibition, showcasing the best work from about 50 ceramic artists from around New Zealand. Uku means clay in te reo, and is the starting point for this event, which is a celebration of makers of contemporary ceramics from the Hawke’s Bay region, and nationally, with clay at its heart.
The intention is to give the community the chance to see work, buy it, be inspired and see the endless possibilities of clay, but it was also important to provide an opportunity for local practitioners to exhibit in their place, together. More than 50 entries from across the spectrum of creativity have been received, from small functional vessels, to sculptural and figurative work, with half of these entries from Hawke’s Bay. Come and view this beautiful exhibition soon, there’s something here for everyone. UKU will be open until Thursday, November 22.
If ceramics interests you, you will also enjoy Scratching the Surface in the Small Gallery, which showcases the work of Karen Greenslade and Scott Brough. Scott and Karen have been studying ceramic art with Otago Polytech for the last four years. They have been learning the skills needed to work with clay as well exploring the wide world of contemporary art and ceramics through the ages. All their experiences and learning come together in this exhibition — which is a display of very individual work from both students created over the last year of self-directed study. Scratching the Surface is open until Thursday, November 8.
Lastly, a sincere thank you to everyone who came along to support the CAN contribution to the Harcourt’s Hawke’s Bay Arts Festival and added their dots to our interactive art installation White Out. The installation was a roaring success, and it was amazing to watch it morph and grow with the contributions from our community. We achieved record numbers on White Night too! Group hugs all round from us, to you.
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