Aratoi’s Current Exhibitions

Rita Angus in the Wairarapa! 

A first for the Wairarapa is Te Papa’s touring exhibition – Rita Angus: New Zealand

Modernist | He Ringatoi Hou o Aotearoa. 

The exhibition brings together 20 works by one of New Zealand’s most iconic 20 th century artists, Rita Angus (1908–1970) with many of these never been displayed before in the region.

The paintings span Angus’s life and career as an artist, drawing out the themes of pacifism, feminism and nature that shaped so much of her work.

Sarah McClintock, Aratoi Director, is excited about the exhibition. 

“Few artists have captured the unique New Zealand landscape and light as well as Rita Angus. To have an exhibition of her striking work in the Wairarapa is an exciting opportunity for our community to see some of the best paintings in Aotearoa by one of the country’s most iconic artists.” … Continue Reading

Country Dog City Dog

Tauherenikau Friendship Club

Travelling in times of covid

Sue Teodoro is a seasoned traveller who did not let covid deter her from embarking on overseas travel as soon as the New Zealand borders opened up. Speaking at the recent Tauherenikau Friendship Club monthly meeting, she related her experiences travelling through Europe in those early days of living with covid.

The first thing that alerted her to that travelling had changed post-covid was the scene at Wellington airport. At that stage few planes were flying in and out of New Zealand so that the usually bustling airport was virtually empty of people and mask wearing was the norm. However, when she arrived in Europe, she found that people did not seem to socially distance and that masks were few and far between. The first country she visited was Spain, to walk the Camino Santiago. Here Sue found the trail congested with crowds of walkers – so many people had decided that they too needed to get travelling again as soon as they could and would not allow covid to hold them back.

Sue did behave sensibly, for example, wearing masks in planes, and she pointed out that she had family in Europe who would be able to help her should she fall ill. All the same, she stressed that it was quite possible then to travel overseas and that we should not let covid rule our travel plans. 

Do feel free to join the club if you are of retirement age. Visitors are welcome.  Meetings are at 10am the first Friday of the month at the South Wairarapa Workingmen’s Club. However, the August meeting will be a week later than usual, on August 11^th, when Marlene Ditchfield, who has written several books and articles about historical places and events, will talk about historic Wairarapa buildings.

Did You Know?

Oak leaves have been falling.  Everywhere. A display of beautiful jewel colours, and piles of heaped leaves indicates autumn is over and winter is here.

There are approximately 500 species of oaks, in the genus Quercus.  Oaks are native to the Northern Hemisphere and extend from cool to temperate climates in the Americas, Asia, Europe, and North Africa. 

North America has the largest number of oak species closely followed by China.

As symbols, the acorn and the oak leaf have long reflected strength and prosperity.

The Sisters Oak located in Louisiana is the largest certified southern live oak tree.  It is estimated to be up to 1,500 years old with a trunk that measures 11.6 m.

The Major Oak is an 800- to 1000-year-old tree located in Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, the home of Robin Hood.

Since Roman times oakwood has been prized for making strong watertight barrels, perfect for storing and transporting both water and wine. Oakwood is used in winemaking to vary the colour, flavour, profile, and tannin texture of the wine. 

English and Evergreen Oak Trees also provide the perfect environment for growing prized truffles. Truffle farming in New Zealand began in Gisborne in 1993. The highest value truffles grown in New Zealand are the Perigord Black Truffle and the Bianchetto.