Art gallery making waves
A small, collaborative New Plymouth art gallery is making waves for emerging talent in the region.
Koru on Devon Gallery opened on Devon St West in June and leases parts of the gallery space out on a monthly basis.
It currently has bookings through until June 2020.
The gallery is a joint venture between photographer Fay Looney and artist Linda McFetridge, who have come together to open the space and offer opportunities to local and emerging artists.
‘‘The beginning of this story is I broke my pearls,’’ Looney said.
She visited old school friend David Brownson at his jewellers shop on Devon St West to get them fixed, and he offered her the space to operate their gallery.
Brownson has paid the lease for 18 months as the gallery is not-for-profit and wouldn’t be able to operate without community support.
‘‘The people coming through the door are 100 per cent positive and their first comment is it’s great to see a space for Taranaki art,’’ Looney said. McFetridge agreed.
She curates the gallery and has some of her own pieces on display and said Koru was something the region had been missing.
‘‘It’s a good place for people who haven’t been able to do exhibitions for a while and also for young emerging artists,’’ she said.
Stratford artist Vicky Taylor was named as one of 15 emerging artists of the year in the country, which she was not expecting.
She was found by Koru, who helped her exhibit her art and gave her the confidence to pursue a creative career.
‘‘Without the support of the Taranaki art community I wouldn’t have had the support to realise that my art was worth it,’’ she said.
The gallery has also supported charity founder Theresa Tongi with an art exhibition and helped her regain her confidence in the art world.
Today, the gallery will be launching a three-week charity art exhibition to raise money for her charity ASD Connex, which supports families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Two of her four children have ASD, which caused her to resign from her job as a police officer after 12 years in the force to be a fulltime mum.
The exhibition will showcase four artists, including Tongi, whose art will show experiences of having ASD as well as celebrating Ma¯ori and Pasifika culture.
Tongi said she hadn’t painted in more than 15 years and the gallery had given her confidence to express herself again.
‘‘We are so grateful for places like Koru giving us these opportunities,’’ she said.