A cool store and gallery
Mapua’s popular Coolstore Gallery is a celebration of local and national artisan skill and imagination. New owners, wife and husband team Corene Gdanitz and Laszlo Ormay, are excited be at the helm of the gallery that has built a strong reputation over twenty years.
“I have been overseas for much of my adult life and Laszlo is from Hungary,” says Corene. “The onset of Covid brought us back to my homeland from London where we had been running our business.
The experience of the pandemic in the UK was a lot different from here and much harder on children,” she explains. “We wanted to give our daughters the best life we could and the Coolstore Gallery becoming available was a wonderful opportunity for us to keep working together, which we really enjoy.”
“We love being part of the Mapua community, it is such an idyllic place,” adds Laszlo.
With a Master’s degree in Fine Art from Budapest, and scholarships that took him on art journeys throughout Europe, Laszlo has an extensive knowledge of creative and practical art processes and is keen to share that with visitors to the gallery.
“Art is not just decoration,” he says. “I remember all of the well-loved pieces in my grandparent’s home in Hungary. I like the idea of people coming here and buying a piece of art that they love that can then be passed onto future generations. This passes on not just the work and the stories of the art maker who created it, but also the essence of the place where it resided and the people who loved it.”
“Our goal is to bring joy and positivity into people’s lives,” adds Corene. “Art shouldn’t just be for those who have a lot of disposable income. We purposely have beautiful pieces available for all budgets. We don’t want people to feel intimidated because they can’t afford a higher-priced item, so we offer a choice. We also want to celebrate the artisans that have their pieces here and give them every opportunity to make a living from what they love doing.”
The couple say the Mapua waterfront is a wonderful destination, and they are thrilled to be a part of it. Their abundant energy has given the gallery a fresh new look. “We are enjoying the process of getting to know the artisans we are representing and take a great deal of pleasure from displaying their work in the best way possible so that customers can appreciate the beauty of each piece and the attention to detail,” says Laszlo. “Also, sustainability is at the core of our business which includes re-packaging and re-purposing.”
The considerable range of items available from more than 150 artisans includes original art and prints, metalwork, woodware, ceramics, jewellery, sculpture, textile art, books and quirky giftware.