Start Date
5 February -  
End Date
11 February 2024
Artist
Stuart Gray
Main Image
Friendly robot lamp - cheese grater body with metal pipe and window latch limbs. Artist Stuart Gray.
Opening Hours
Monday - Sunday: 9.30am to 5pm
Description

I like to use materials which are sourced from recycling centres, op-shops and peoples throw away items. With the vision of less entering landfills I repurpose items which may end up as trash.

I turn what is generally not used anymore or out of fashion into art, generally robot type characters, vehicles, animals and sometimes lamps. I like people to look at an object and think, "What was that used for?" or "What could that have been?", especially with old vintage unusable items. I like the interest, amusement and amazement the public express when viewing works.
 

Instagram: @willhelm1905

Start Date
29 January -  
End Date
4 February 2024
Artist
Community of Practise Collective
Main Image
Exhibition poster for Community of Practise. Buttery yellow with square text.
Opening
Opening Hours
Tuesday - Saturday: 11am - 6pm
Description

Artists: Amber Tasha, Augustina Binyamin, Connor Jarden, Ella Jones, Emelie Clarke, George Culling, Guy van der Wilt, Harry Coxhead, Jordan Knight, Katie Sapsford, Oliver Prisk, Sienna Ryeanne Wells

Community of Practice is a collective exhibition highlighting creative practice outside the constraints of a standard working day of 9-5. The exhibition is a celebration of Whanganui-a-Tara based artists who are working in range of mediums from furniture, drawing, sculpture and painting. This community is most interested in establishing meaningful relationships between those interested in creative practise.

 

CONTACT

FACEBOOK EVENT

Instagram: @_communityofpractise

Start Date
22 January -  
End Date
28 January 2024
Artist
Atti’ Pōneke
Main Image
Jogak Whakatōpū, by Atti' Poneke,  Geometric jewel toned patchwork
Opening
Opening Hours
Tuesday-Sunday: 11am - 6pm
Description

Moonhee Han, Sun Min Kim, Eun Jung Jan, Joy Moon, Jung Min Shin, Olivia Wang, Hyun Kyoung Koo, Yeon Heoung Park

Jogakbo, a traditional Korean wrapping cloth, is crafted from scraps of fabric left over from making the Hanbok, Korea’s national costume. Jogak Whakatōpū showcases Jogakbo finely crafted with hands using natural fabrics from Korea by Atti’ Pōneke group. Atti’ means friends in Korean, and we all share a passion for Jogakbo. We gather twice a month to share ideas and encourage each other while making our pieces.

We now call Aotearoa our home, but it is crucial to know our roots and be proud of who we are.These Jogakbo pieces feature geometric patterns created with fine hand-sewing, representing our identity and embodying a wonderful harmony and balance, much like multicultural Aotearoa. As part of the exhibition, we'll ; host a workshop on making Jumeoni, a traditional Korean pouch, to celebrate the Lunar New Year and wish for good luck in the coming year.

 

WORKSHOP

Saturday 27 January, 2pm-3pm
Jumeoni/ traditional pouch making workshop
$25 class fee

 

CONTACT

Facebook: Moonhee HAN Bojagi
Instagram: @moonheehan_bojagi

Start Date
15 January -  
End Date
21 January 2024
Artist
Beata Guilleminot
Main Image
Sustainable handmade fashion from By-Bea. White linen maxi-dress
Opening
Opening Hours
Monday: 12pm - 6pm
Tuesday - Saturday: 10am - 6pm
Sunday: 11am - 4pm
Description

By-Bea is a Wellington-based fashion label that creates timeless and unique pieces that reflect the designer’s years of travel and exploration. It has been founded by Beata, a French-trained fashion designer.

Beata adopts various techniques and requirements of art by implementing a mixture of imagination, architecture and sculpture into her designs. 

The materials of her choice are usually silk, linen and cotton veil. All the pieces of fabric are treated beforehand and pre- washed so that the model has a perfect and durable fit.  By-Bea’s capsule collections are always limited editions, so you can be sure that you are wearing something exclusive and original. Her designs are ideal to complement and enhance any wardrobe, adding a touch of elegance, sophistication, and personality.

“By-Bea’s workmanship is amazing, truly artistic pieces!”, Rachel.

“By-Bea’s designs are stunning, creative and flattering. I love her attention to detail and her commitment to sustainability.”, Marta

 

CONTACT


Website: https://www.by-bea.com
Instagram: @bybea_creation

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Start Date
18 December -  
End Date
24 December 2023
Artist
Beata Kozlowska
Main Image
Invitation to Beata Kozlowska's solo exhibition. Features Truly You, an abstract geometric painting in fresh colours.
Opening
Opening Hours
Monday: 3 - 6pm
Tuesday to Saturday: 10am - 6pm
Sunday: 10am - 3pm
Description

You are warmly invited to Poetics of Geometry, a solo exhibition featuring new abstract paintings by Beata Kozlowska. From the last several years of Wellington-based artistic journey, Kozlowska delves into the painterly medium, focusing on the language of abstraction. Poetics of Geometry explores unique visual associations from geometric shapes, analogous to the play of language in poetics. Kozlowska employs elements like colour, shape, texture, form and structure to manifest in varying scales and frequencies, mirroring nature.


The term "Geometry" originates from the Greek words 'geo' (earth) and 'metrein' (to measure). Kozlowska's work explores the interplay between
poetics and geometry, employing geometric shapes, lines, haphazard semi-grids, and multiple layering techniques. Embracing negative space and concealing specific areas in her compositions, she engages in an unpredictable and playful process that challenges traditional geometric
laws. This emphasis on the freedom of abstraction, rooted in the tradition of Modernism, invites viewers to explore multiple interpretations.

 

WORKSHOPS

 

Wednesday, 10am - 12pm
FREE Kids Art Workshop

 

CONTACT


www.beatakozlowska.com
Facebook: Beata Kozlowska - Visual Artist
Instagram: @beatakozlowskaart

 

Start Date
11 December -  
End Date
17 December 2023
Artist
Good stuff made by good people
Main Image
JUST GOOD STUFF Poster.
Opening
Opening Hours
Tuesday - Sunday: 11am - 7pm
Description

6 days of local creative goodness for all your Christmas needs and more… 

Opening 6:00pm Monday 11 December - join us for a glass of Christmas cheer and first dibs! 


FEATURING GOOD STUFF BY: 
melissa boardman . baron hasselhoff’s chocolates . forest drawn . moonrise yarn co . hmxhm . keer ironworks . julie & jack . gael cherian . snaxpax . jackelope treasures . nana glamour . anna venture . indi & wild . harriet bright pottery . 2 minute needles . oh goodness . ngaere mackinnon . simply kawakawa . pepper raccoon . gridley by victoria . nisa clothing . galit maxwell pottery . lilla bean . carofeno craft . genevieve packer .  


Check us out on Facebook and Instagram - new images of goodies available added daily… 

Facebook: JUST GOOD STUFF
Instagram: @justgoodstuffnz

Start Date
4 December -  
End Date
10 December 2023
Artist
Nick Marshall, Purist Surfboards
Main Image
Surfboard fin by Nick Marshall. Inlaid/ painted with map of Wellington Harbour's eastern shore.
Opening Hours
Monday - Sunday: 9.30am - 5pm
Description

My works are a series of traditional and modern wooden and pounamu sculptured ocean craft. Each work is inspired by the origin and artworks of surfboard making pre 19th century in Polynesia. Surfboard making and artistic designs were once a central part of society. My works
explore the ties the Pacific Ocean "The Great Connector" has with our people and coastlines.

CONTACT
Instagram: @purist_surfboards

Start Date
27 November -  
End Date
3 December 2023
Artist
Kate MacDonald
Main Image
Daily Fibre exhibition poster
Opening Hours
Wednesday - Saturday: 10am - 6pm
Sunday: 10am - 4pm
Description

Daily Fibre is a presentation of stitch and ceramic works, created through a time of loss and grief. It speaks to the importance of a daily creative practice, which enabled the maker to connect with culture, values and lost ones.

 

WORKSHOPS

Stitch sesh: Wednesday - Friday, 12 - 4pm

Open to anyone who wants to come in and stitch in the gallery :)
Space and advice provided, BYO project.

 

Instagram: @pinchedbykate

 

Start Date
20 November -  
End Date
26 November 2023
Artist
Frankie Berge
Main Image
Paintings by Frankie Berge. Nude figures expressing the queer sacred feminine via exaggerated curves, glowing orange tones, and larger than life scale.
Opening Hours
Tuesday - Sunday: 11am - 7pm
Description

Meniscus is an exhibit comprised of painting, photography and wearable sculpture. An alternative perspective, an invitation to float amongst high expression figures.

Grounded in both the everyday and otherworldly phenomenon of a meniscus, the curve in the surface of water when it touches another substance, I imagine a world between one surface and another, thick with melting light, its own qualities and rules. That magic of natural elements that we sometimes lose amongst its mundane usage. I aim to translate those sensory characteristics into something tangible through my craft. These interpretations are then related back to themes of queerness and the divine feminine - an extension of my identity and perspective on the world. Works explore bending the expected forms of reality - our bodies and emotions with color and composition create portals into a heightened, queer and surreal world.

Start Date
13 November -  
End Date
19 November 2023
Artist
A creative disability collective based in Wellington
Main Image
Made by Marange crafts.
Opening
Opening Hours
Tuesday - Friday: 10am - 6pm
Saturday: 10am - 4pm
Sunday: 10am - 3pm
Description

Made by Maranga is a creative collective of young adults with intellectual disabilities based in Wellington.
We create a wide range of bespoke, ethically produced, handmade products working towards our goal of self-employment.

 

CONTACT

Facebook: Made by Maranga
Instagram: @madebymaranga

 

Start Date
6 November -  
End Date
12 November 2023
Artist
Linda Forrest, Pip Woods, Lyuba Zhilkina, Richard Stratton
Main Image
Ceramic vases by Pip Woods with wilting magnolias.
Opening Hours
Monday: 12 - 6pm
Tuesday - Friday: 10am - 6pm
Saturday: 10am - 5pm
Sunday: 11am - 4pm
Description

Moments In Clay is a celebration of ceramics by Whanganui-a-Tara ceramic artists, Linda Forrest, Pip Woods, Lyuba Zhilkina and Richard Stratton. This is the third year this highly anticipated exhibition has run, showcasing a range of unique ceramic work by emerging and established makers.

 

CONTACT

 

Linda Forrest
Website: lindaforrest.co.nz
Instagram: @lk.forrest

Pip Wood
Website: pipwoodsceramics.com
Instagram: @pipwoodsceramics

LyubaZhilkina: email
Instagram: @lyubazhilkina

Richard Stratton: email

Instagram: @richard_stratton_nz

Start Date
31 October -  
End Date
5 November 2023
Artist
Presented by White Cloud Worlds
Main Image
Poster for Skullduggery art exhibition. Poster artwork by Jeremy Bennett.
Opening Hours
Tuesday & Wednesday: 10am - 5pm
Thursday & Friday: 10am - 7pm
Saturday: 10am - 5pm
Sunday: 10am - 3pm
Description

 

Its Alive!

The Skullduggery Art Show is back for 2023! This show celebrates Halloween, Horror and the Supernatural and features the work of over 50 local artists. From realism to pop surrealism, lowbrow to sculpture, this extra-ordinary supernatural sensation will feature some of Aotearoa's top entertainment industry artists. Prepare for a little Skullduggery at Thistle Hall from October 30.

Website: whitecloudworlds.com/skullduggery
Instagram: @skullduggery_art_show
Facebook: wcw.art

 

Featuring works by

Andy Shaw  *  Andrew Baker *  Anna Johnstone * Anton Gustilo * Anton Becic * Amit Dutta * Ben Stenbeck * Bill Hunt * Chris Menges * Christian Pearce * Claire Tobin * Clark Roworth * Daniel Falconer * Daniel Ido * EJ Thorpe * Gaboleps * Garry Buckley * Gino Acevedo * Greg Broadmore * Gus Hunter * Iona Brinch * Ivan Vegar * Javier Murcia * Jeremy Bennett * Jemma McLean * Joaquin Loyzaga * Johnny Fraser Allen * Lindsey Crummett * Matt Katz * Matty Rogers * Matt Haworth * McGregor Allen * Malangeo * Nathan Tucker * Nick Keller * Nyssa Skorji * Otis Chamberlain * Paul Tobin * Rebekah Tisch * Ross Murray * Ryan S. Stark * Sam Beetham * Sam Balzer * Simona Tisotti * Simon Morse * Sonja Howard * Stacey Robson * Stacy A Wilde * Steve Lambert * Stephen Njoto * Steven Saunders * Syros Pourlatifi * Tanya Marriott * Tiwei * Tom Robinson * Warren Mahy * G host Lee

 

Poster artwork by Jeremy Bennett.

 

Start Date
24 October -  
End Date
29 October 2023
Artist
Mark Peck and Aaron Frater
Main Image
Painting by Mark Peck. Bold shapes and abstract stairs in blue and russet.
Opening
Opening Hours
Wednesday - Friday: 9am - 6pm
Saturday: 10am - 6pm
Sunday: 10am - 4pm
Description

 

I've been painting, bold and expressive with lots of colour and form!

Come browse my current collection which started with a strict adherence to shape and form and morphed into loose and abstract. Bring your own creativity and add a mark to our community painting; the little ones can join in too. All contributors go into a draw to win the artwork created.


“Every child is an artist, the problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” Pablo Picasso

 

EVENTS

Tuesday 24 October, 5.30 - 7.30pm
Opening with artist talk 
Facebook event

Wednesday 25 to Sunday 29 October, gallery open hours
Make your mark: continuous community painting event

 

CONTACT

Mark Peck: 0274 461 650
Email: peck.m@xtra.co.nz

 

Start Date
17 October -  
End Date
21 October 2023
Artist
James Bennett
Main Image
Exhibition poster featuring paintings by James Bennett
Opening Hours
Tuesday to Saturday, 11am - 7pm
Description

The first exhibition by James Bennett. Painted between 2013 and 2023, these are portraits and figurative paintings using simple forms and colours. The theme focuses on isolation and shared loneliness.


Instagram : @j_bennettart

 

FACEBOOK EVENT

Start Date
10 October -  
End Date
15 October 2023
Artist
Aaron Potaka, Esther Topfer, Sandra Brumby, Deirdra McMenamin
Main Image
Political Football exhibtion poster.
Opening
Opening Hours
Tuesday to Sunday: 10am - 4pm
Description

Political Football references two distinct cultural meanings across British and American politics. For hot and contentious issues, the Westminster code is to bury or prevaricate in contrast to the US style of scrimmage and fast resolution. The Optiv101 Political Football exhibition uses the US code of play, acting as a broadsheet of diverse readings and commentaries, as each artist kicks some hot issues to the centre field, adding perspective to the wider social and political milieux.
 

LIVE PERFORMANCES

Wednesday 11 October 
Thursday 12 October
Friday 13 October

Start time 7.30pm

In conjunction with Andi Arugula, from PEACE Co-Op Theatre Company the exhibition will host three performances about war & all its greatness with "a gREAT rAW". Inspired by the book We Will Not Cease by Archibald Baxter, conscientious objector, farmer and father of poet James K. Baxter, Andi will perform "a gREAT rAW".

FACEBOOK: Optiv101 Fine Arts and Multimedia Studios

Start Date
3 October -  
End Date
8 October 2023
Artist
Hayley May
Main Image
Exhibition poster featuring hats by Hayley May
Opening
Opening Hours
Tuesday to Sunday: 10am – 6pm
Description

Local milliner Hayley May has over 30 years’ experience working in costume, specialising in making hats, gloves and other soft accessories – from Narnia to Middle Earth to Mulan and beyond…

This exhibition of her work features limited edition and one-off visors, hats and headpieces made from a mix of vintage materials and off cuts, collected over the course of her career. 


In an effort to make space in her studio, there will also be a range of hat blocks, millinery materials, samples and vintage hats for sale. 

Hayley May will be in the gallery all week making, and is always happy to chat hats! 

Instagram: @hm_makes_hats

Start Date
26 September -  
End Date
30 September 2023
Artist
Marolyn Krasner
Main Image
Cyanotype print of fern by Marolyn Krasner
Opening
Opening Hours
Tuesday - Saturday: 11am - 6pm
Description

My art comes from a deep appreciation of plants and has been an essential part of my healing after multiple bereavements over the past two years. I work in cyanotype and I use botanicals as my subjects. I am exploring ferns in this show because I find these ubiquitous and majestic plants beautiful, surprising and fascinating.

The blend of cyanotype and ferns is soothing and exciting.

WORKSHOPS

26 - 30 September, 11am - 2pm daily.

Bring the kids for a drop in session to make cyanotypes. No artistic ability is required, nature does most of the work!
Cost: Free

WORLD CYANOTYPE DAY

30 September is World Cyanotype Day

Every year on the last Saturday of September, photographers and artists worldwide will gather in backyards, parking lots, galleries and parks to connect, create and celebrate this antiquarian photographic process. Be a part of it this year with Marolyn Krasner.


Instagram : @marolynkrasner
Website: www.marolynkrasner.com

FACEBOOK EVENT

Start Date
18 September -  
End Date
24 September 2023
Artist
Teissi Aranda
Main Image
Poster with image of Frida Kahlo. Artist Teissi Aranda Title I love Frida. Oil on canvas, 800x1000 mm, 2023
Opening Hours
Monday: 2 - 7 pm
Tuesday to Saturday: 10 am - 7 pm
Sunday: 10 am - 6 pm
Description

Teissi is an artist & art professor from Argentina.

This exhibition was created by her after she spent three years in quarantine due to COVID-19 in Argentina. There she learned that during introspection and darkness a moment occurs inside oneself where we can transform and discover a power that we didn’t know we had. The darkest moments will disappear and the moments of happiness will appear, as sporadic and spontaneous as the life of a butterfly.

It is important to meditate and be grateful every day to maintain our good energy and feel strong in the face of adversity. In this exhibition she will display paintings and wearable art, hand-painted garments that she has made over these years.

CLOSING EVENT: Sunday 24 September, 12 pm

Come to say hi and meet the artist, she is looking forward to meeting the community from Wellington

Facebook: Teissi - Artist
Instagram : @teissiartist
Website: teissi.com

FACEBOOK EVENT

Start Date
11 September -  
End Date
17 September 2023
Artist
The Learning Connexion's Figurative Expressions Class
Main Image
Poster for Figurative Expression featuring several drawings from the class.
Opening
Opening Hours
Tuesday - Friday: 12pm - 6pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10am - 4pm
Description

Every week in the figurative class we spend approximately 4-5 hours with a model sometimes nude, where the class engage, capture, observe & express the experience they partake in through sketching, painting & sculpting. It's quite a magical process with its vulnerabilities, yet the connections & discoveries made are extremely powerful & inspiring.

To share work inspired by the nude & clothed human, sheds light on the power of the human body & how unique & beautiful we all are. The community will see the work as onlooker & this would build further awareness of diverse body acceptance.

Figurative Expressions with Dan Wilkinson Term Four, 2023 Enrolments open!

#FigurativeExpressions #LifeDrawing #TheLearningConnexion

Start Date
29 August -  
End Date
7 September 2023
Artist
Brianna Parkinson, Seth Haggard, Zoë Glentworth
Main Image
Main Image
Opening Hours
Tuesday – Saturday: 11am - 6pm
Sunday: 11am – 4pm
Tuesday - Thursday: 11am - 6pm
Description

This is a group exhibition in partnership with The Free Store and Kaibosh.

A group exhibition by art students reflects on the value we place on the resources of Papatūānuku. Over one-third of households in Aotearoa NZ are struggling to afford the necessities of food and shelter. This exhibition re-examines resource use and distribution, turning the lens on food rescue and rental accommodation.

ARTIST PROFILES

Brianna Parkinson, who lives in Tāmaki Makaurau, explores the value we place on food resources in her photographs and sculptures.  Her works in the exhibition include photographs capturing the mahi of two organisations involved in food rescue in Pōneke and more recent still-life photographs of rescued food.  Parkinson holds a Certificate in Visual Arts from Massey University (Wellington) and is currently studying for a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Elam Art School at Auckland University.

Seth Haggard is an artist recently landed in Auckland from Newcastle, Australia; With a multidisciplinary practice spanning photography, video works, illustration, and text-based works. Creating work from a basis of radical subjectivity, his work examines class inequality, activism, police repression and modern living conditions. He graduated from the Newcastle Art School and is currently enrolled in a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Auckland.

Zoë Glentworth is a fifth-year architecture student at Victoria University of Wellington. She has volunteered at The Free Store since 2018. Through her mahi, she is exploring how generous public places can be created through co-design and co-creation with people from The Free Store. Zoë has completed an NZ L4 Te Reo Certificate at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa (2021), a Diploma of Theology at Bishopdale College (2022), and runs a small business with her whānau called Zoë’s Kawakawa.

 

 EVENT PROGRAMME

  • Kaibosh & The Free Store community afternoon, not open to public – Monday 28 August, 2-6pm
  • Opening Night including Panel Talk hosted by Kaibosh - Tuesday 29 August, 6-8pm
  • Poetry Night hosted by The Free Store – Thursday 31 August, 6.30-8pm
  • Picnics in Parks outside Thistle Hall – Friday 1 September, 11am-2pm