FOCUS Last-minute gift ideas on your list
With just a few days to go until Santa climbs down the chimney, you will either be in a state of panic, or have ticked off everyone on your gift list.
There are always last-minute items to rush out the door for, and we can help!
In the Main Gallery at Creative Arts Napier right now, the CAN Christmas Art and Craft Market is in full swing, stocked with quality art and crafts made by talented Hawke’s Bay artisans.
Among the wide variety of giftware you will find something to suit even the most difficult to buy for.
Jenni Foster’s beautiful heart wall pieces have captured our hearts this year, and priced from $12 they make a personal present to give a loved one.
Other little pieces that have caught our eye include beautiful vintage coasters by Margaret Culshaw which feature dress patterns, recipes and images of baking from times gone by at $5.70 each.
Laura Lee’s cute button bouquets in vintage glass vases are a must for any sewing addict, while Anna Fuhrer’s colourful woodcut prints, priced from $20 and featuring snippets from songs lyrics, initials and text are ideal for any age. Nicholas Rumble’s New Zealand wildlifethemed children’s books, quirky pottery by Didi Chapman and embroidered jewellery by Katherine Bertram of Firecracker Studios are top picks of what’s on offer.
The market is just made for browsing, so take your time and enjoy the air conditioning while you’re here.
Still stuck with that difficult to buy for person on your present list? Consider a CAN membership.
For just $25 for an individual membership, you will be provided with a gift certificate to pop inside their cracker and they will receive the benefit of a yearlong membership to an arts family that just keeps on growing. Application forms are available at the front desk or give one of our friendly team a call on 06 835 9448.
If you come in to Creative Arts Napier in the next few days you will be just in time to snap up a CAN raffle ticket or two. At $2 each or $5 for three you would be in to win a sumptuous Christmas hamper stocked with all the treats you need to make your Christmas Day extra special. The raffle will be drawn at 3pm on Friday, December 21, so hurry in and support your community arts centre in the best way possible. All proceeds from the raffle go towards supporting the services we provide to the arts community. School holidays are just beginning, and with Christmas around the corner there is a lot to fill up your day. After Christmas, however you will need activities to keep little hands busy, especially on rainy days when the beach is not an option.
At Creative Arts Napier we have a painting workshop coming up that is designed specifically for children aged 11-14 years on Saturday, January 19. Join Michele Jung for a collaborative workshop, connecting young people with paint and brush, in the fun and relaxed atmosphere of the CAN. Michele is an award-winning Hawke’s Bay Artist who is passionate about all things arty. She exhibits her work locally and runs ‘MiChalk’ afterschool art classes and fun school holiday workshops. She believes that creating is what we were made to do.
Michele hopes to inspire others through the creative process by sharing her passion for painting and mixed media in this workshop, costing $5 per child, with all proceeds supporting the CAN. This is an opportunity for our youth to express life visually through colours and shapes, in a supportive environment. For further information and to secure your place please contact Creative Arts Napier on bookings@thecan.co.nz. Bookings are essential.
Creative Arts Napier will also be running $5 drop-in CAN TOWN sessions for children and their caregivers from January 11 to February 1, during opening hours.
CAN TOWN is a sprawling, interactive miniature cityscape that we invite parents/ caregivers and kids of all ages to participate in creating. Put away your devices and use your imaginations to plan, create and get messy, dig in to the materials provided and construct either a miniature scene for the inside of a shoebox to add to the apartment complex, or build your own zoo, hospital, or school. If that doesn’t float your bulldozer, draw in the roads and landscape around the buildings. Whether you are a budding town planner or an interior designer in the making, this activity is bound to captivate you. We also encourage everyone taking part to weave stories around your creations and record them in the book provided.
Both Michele’s painting workshop and CAN TOWN have been generously funded by Napier City Council’s creative community funding scheme.
I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the team at the CAN to wish you all a safe and happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year.
Enjoy the festive season and we look forward to welcoming you through the CAN doors very soon.
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