A window on artful creation
Ō akura Arts Trail open studios set to offer rare insights
Ōakura artists are getting ready to open their studios and workshops to the public for the Oakurā Arts Trail. This art trail takes place at the same time as the Taranaki Fringe Garden Festival.
The arts trail will take place on the weekends of October 29-30 and November 5-6.
The opening for the trail will happen at the Vineyard Bistro, Okurukuru on Wednesday, October 26.
For the past two years the Oakurā Arts Trail has fostered young artists so they have a greater appreciation of how to exhibit and promote their art.
Some of these young artists have gone on to have their artwork selected for the Emergence Award for Young Taranaki Artists at the Percy Thomson Gallery ānd the Taranaki Art Awards in Opunake.
This year 11 artists feature on the trail. They are Kris Wright, Richard Landers, Rosemary Petterson, Ross Bennett, Margaret Scott, John Newton, Linda Barbour, Sally Laing, Beth Armstrong, Suzanne Bloch-Jorgensen and Lisa Newsome.
Beth Armstrong is new to the trail this year. Her textile designs and botanical watercolours are inspired by New Zealand fauna.
Susan Bloch -Jorgensen is a returning artist and her studio is always a popular place as visitors love her hand-sculptured birds, creatures and hand-thrown domestic ware.
Many of the artists are prepared to demonstrate techniques or are working while visitors pass through their studios. The experience of visiting artists in their own work environment is unique and leaves a lasting impression on people, who return to buy work or bring other visitors to see the art.
The trail provides a nice balance of varieties of art to apppreciite, with sculpture, glass art, pottery, jewellery, textile designs, watercolour, mixed media and acrylic painting being some of the varieties that can be seen.
Brochures for the trail can be found at all studios, the Information Centre, the Crafty Fox and on the notice board next to the O¯ akura chemist.
For more details visit www.oakuraartstrail or the ō akura Arts Trail Facebook page.