Artists welcome visitors to studios
Hearty response to Artist Open Studios brings strong sales
The second weekend of Whanganui’s Artist Open Studios attracted people from around the country, with local artists taking the chance to exhibit, sell and discuss their works with curious visitors.
In Marton, bronze artist Ross Wilson said so many people had passed through his studio that he “went cross-eyed”.
“There were just so many people coming in, and I dare say that’ll be the same all over,” Wilson said.
“It’s just wonderful.”
He had sold around $7000 worth of works, Wilson said, up substantially from 2019.
“I’ve had a lot of artists also come for a visit, wanting to do bronze, from all over the country.
“I run courses teaching this as well, so I’ve sold artwork and filled up courses which is amazing.”
Wilson turned his deck into an exhibition space for finished artwork, with “gold nuggets” (bronze pieces) free for the public to take home.
“They’re real gold nuggets, the leprechaun told me so. He’s disappeared now, funnily enough.”
A feature of Wilson’s studio is a “functioning artwork”, in the form of a miniature furnace.
“The pouring shank is actually a bit of tennis racquet.
“I liked it so much that I made another one and put it into the Pattillo Arts Review, and they accepted it. It was a real ‘yeeha’ moment, you know?
“You can still put 1100C bronze in there though, so it’s fully functional. If I don’t sell it I can still use it.”
Wanganui Arts Society president Rae Hendry said foot traffic for the exhibitions at Cooks Gallery in Trafalgar Place had been solid over the weekend, with works created by artists of all ages being sold.
“I would say it’s been a fabulous success,” Hendry said.
“I’ve even sold lots of the kids’ prints, so there’ll be some really happy little people out there.
“One said ‘did you sell mine for $1000?’, and I said ‘close, I sold it for $1’.”
Juxtaposition Gallery in Drews Ave had welcomed more than 1000 people for the first weekend of Open Studios, owner Tanya Hayton said, and while there had been slightly fewer the second weekend, the space had still been busy.
“The first Saturday we had 600 people through, and the Sunday there was 400-500,” Hayton said.
“That figure is a lot lower today, and there are more locals coming through, but that’s good in the sense that you have time to talk to people, especially when they want to talk about woodcut printmaking techniques or anything about your life, or their lives.
“It’s been good to showcase some of the illustrations I’ve been doing of Whanganui buildings as well.
“There’s the council building, the Davis Lecture Theatre, the War Memorial Hall, and the Government Life building, which was designed by Don Wilson.
“I’m sort of looking at mid-century Whanganui as a thing to be appreciated.”
In terms of sales, Hayton said the first weekend had been “very good”.
“It’s slower this weekend, but it always is. You tend to find that people visit the galleries a bit further out on that second weekend.”