Can we keep kids happy? Sure CAN
There is somuchto look forward to this October, I hardlyknowwhere to begin. First of all, if you are looking forsome art activities to keep the kids busy these school holidays, you knowwhere to come. Creative Arts Napier (CAN) staff and volunteers love seeing all the children pouring into the centre.
During the first weekwehave morning and afternoon art classes with the PencilRoomin theCAN workshop, which are always lots of fun. Check to see if there are any spaces left by going online to pencilroom.co.nz and youmaybe lucky. In the secondweekthey are hosting special afternoon classes for teenagers, so that they can still indulge in their morning lie-in.
In addition, beading classes for boys and girls will be offered daily by St.Beads in our mezzanine studio until October 9. Check their website stbeads.co.nz for details onhowto purchase adrop-in voucher tocome and join in. There are somanythings you canmakewith beads. The workshops offer an affordable learning experience and motor-skills practice with something special to takehomeat the end.
Looking ahead, the excitingCAN selected community art exhibition ‘CANdid-50’ kicks off with a bang on Friday, October 9 from5-7pm. Mayor Kirsten Wise will officially open what promises to be ahuge celebration, as the 50 artistscometo preview the selected entries and enjoy a presentation by the selectorRoy Dunningham. Hewill announce six ‘highly commended’ awards and speak about the selection process.
If you can’tmakethe opening of CANdid-50, comealong the following day at 11am to hearRoy give a fascinating floor talk about the work he has selected. All welcome and entry is free.
The exhibition received 117 entries, from which only 50 works were chosen. Roy used his considerable knowledge and expertise to choose works that would sit comfortably alongside each other, andweare looking forward to seeing the resulting exhibition. Amongthe selected artists are well-known locals such as Wellesley Binding, Gillian Appleby, Annette Bull, Clayton Gibson and John Staniford, plus manyothers. Afull list of the selected artists is available on theCAN website.
While it is important to celebrate the artistswhowere successful, it’s good to note that everyonewho entered spent time and energy on the process. The works submitted were all of an amazing standard and Roy’s
One happy participant in a St.Beads class shows off his creations.
task of selecting just 50 would not have been easy. CANacknowledges that sometimes, the disappointing newsof not being selected can cast a shadowon an artist’s enthusiasm. With this in mind, weare scheduling a future ‘Salon des Refuses’ style
exhibition for the remaining 67 artists whowere not selected this time. Also, next year, there is the high-profile biennial Hawke’s Bay Art Review exhibition to enter, too. As with any profession, artists experience the highs and the lows, but it’s important to keep trying and stick with it, because it eventually pays off.
APeople’s Choice Awardwill be presented at the end of CANdid-50, socomealong while it’s on display in October and cast your vote.
Another great event tomarkon your calendar is Nuit Blanche; Art After Dark (formerly called White Night) on October 17, 6-10pm. This is an evening not to be missed, when for one night only all of Napier’s art quarter willcomealive to play host to the wider community, inviting you in to enjoy interactive arts activities, performances and exhibitions. At CANwealways take part and this yearweare offering a very special family orientated activity to take part in. As well as enjoying the live band ‘Lucked Up’ and food trucks situated outside our front door, venture inside and take part in our live mural painting with street artist Dali Susanto. For just a $2donation you can grab the marker pens available and colour in Dali’s unmistakable designs which will be sprawled across our interior workshop wall. Not only this, but you can wander around our galleries which will be jam-packed with beautifulNew Zealand art and enjoy light refreshments from our bar. This event is a highlight on theCAN calendar andwecan’t wait to welcome all our visitors, both regular and new.
Nuit Blanche is featured on page 44 of the Harcourts Hawke’s Bay Arts Festival programme, and if you flip to page 55 you will find another wonderful visual arts installation that can be viewed from Thursday, October 1 in theCANfoyer. Threads of Touch is an exhibition of large scale paintings on upcycled traffic signs created during the Covid-19 crisis by Delicia Sampero. The works will be presented in several galleries (including theCANFoyer) as a visual thread, connecting different Hawke’s Bay places and communities throughout the Arts Festival. Reimagined and re-contextualised, these signs invite and provoke reflections on the complex physical, metaphysical and emotional dimensions of touch. Designed to reflect light, the look of the paintings can change dramatically depending on light conditions and the perspective of the viewer. The launch function for this event ison October 10 at 5pm, at Boyd-Dunlop Gallery in Hastings Street, Napier.
As usual, theCANannual general meeting popsup on the calendar at about this time, and this year it will take place on October 19 at 5.30pm. Comealong and learnmoreabout your community arts centre, howit is governed and managedon adaily basis.
Have your say, join as amember and vote for the 2021CANboard. Enjoy an interesting presentation on the importance of community art spaces by our guest speakerRoy Dunningham. All are warmly welcomed to attend and light refreshments will be served. Please rsvp for numbers, to bookings@thecan.co.nz. Nomination forms formembers of the board can be downloaded from theCAN website thecan.co.nz.
Asweare at level onenowin Hawke’s Bay, maybeit’s time to think about thesummerahead and taking somenewcreative pursuits on board. At CAN, Term 4 evening classes have nowbeen scheduled, plus several weekendworkshops which will take usup to the end of November. Be quick and signupfor a place on a course or aweekend workshop, which are all very affordable. Choose from harakeke weaving, Japanese woodblock printing, linocut, monoprinting, sewing or eco dyeing paper and fabric.
Details of all of these workshops can be found on theCANwebsite or email us at bookings@thecan.co.nz.