Branding Port Chalmers as city’s arts centre

DUNEDIN City — and in particular Port Chalmers — has long been touted as a vibrant arts centre.

Any truth in this probably rests much more on the fact that cheap rents have provided affordable studio/ accommodation space rather than any concerted or orchestrated effort by the council, especially in relation to the visual arts.

While ‘‘cheap rent’’ may have played an important role in establishing our creative community, times are achanging and affordable studio space is increasingly hard to come by.

The Sims Building provides an opportunity to address these issues — and for council to demonstrate a genuine willingness to support the visual arts, and the branding of Port Chalmers as a bona fide arts centre.

The building will provide enough space for a number of artist studio spaces, coupled with office and exhibition space. The focus would be on fostering excellence. This is not envisaged as a ‘‘community arts space’’ as such, but a space that becomes an integral — and significant — element of the Port Chalmers’ community.

Clearly, there would need to be a reasonably significant financial investment in the building to make this happen — but this could be in the form of a longterm loan with repayments through (affordable) studio rental and exhibition commission.

I have visited at least two such centres — Depot Art Space in Devonport, Auckland, and the other, the wonderful Jam Factory in Adelaide, Australia.

Both provide successful examples of the integration of visual arts centres into the community — and the widerange of social and economic benefits accrued over time. Dave Sharp

Purakaunui

[Abridged]

Obstetric care

I WISH to comment on the article (ODT, 15.3.18) regarding the appalling

Flagstaff gorse

I HAVE just returned from a walk up Flagstaff, which has been a favourite area for me for many years. I was shocked to see the amount of gorse and broom growing, and how the tussock areas that used to cover Flagstaff are now harder to find.

I did notice some spraying has been done beside the tracks but acres of gorse and broom remain untouched and growing closer so that soon no tussocks will be left. From my home in Opoho I used to see planes doing aerial spraying on the slopes of Flagstaff, but have not seen any for some time.

Flagstaff is the backdrop of Dunedin and is the closest area for those who want to walk on the hills and look across to the Silver Peaks and right through to Rock and Pillar. It needs to be protected and preserved for us to enjoy in the future and for always. Barbara Markby

Opoho