Aratoi comes to Martinborough, & Featherston
Aratoi, as the region’s art and history museum, is reaching out across the Wairarapa.
On view at Ventana Creative Collective until March 11 is the prizewinning art from Aratoi’s recent Wairarapa Art Review. Come and see ceramic eels made by Sam Ludden, two of his ruru, and a black Labrador painted by Elke Blommers using no black paint.
Say aloud the title of the pink and white sculpture by poet-artist Sam Duckor-Jones: Could it be true / that music from the oily racer scum across the street / is really the sound of a heart / finally pumping up in my ear.
Admire P.R., Stephen Lawrie’s skillful portrait of a Flat Point fisherman, and the book-sculpture by Audrey Hall Theseus and the Minotaur deserves a good ‘read’ between the ceramic pages – maybe it could live in a library! Also on display: Harvey and Murphy, a touching photograph by Anna Rutherford, who is working on the series Masterton & Me.
On the very next day after Aratoi set up the show at Ventana, museum staff went to escVelocity in Featherston to install the 12-panel painting Summer Grass by Robin White and Keiko Iimura. The display marked the 75th anniversary of the Incident in Featherston and was opened by South Wairarapa Mayor Viv Napier and Dame Robin White.
Other activities at Aratoi:
Bring a Bloom to the free, drop-in flower-press workshop (March 10, 11am) with photographer David Lupton, who also offers a free photography workshop at Kidz Conference (March 28) – bookings: enquiries@freshaz.co.nz. Lupton’s photography, paired with poetry by Leonel Alvarado, continues until April 29th, while Kirsty Gardiner’s ceramics show runs until March 18th.
Meet Kiri Riwai-Couch, photographer of 60 poignant black and white portraits of Kuia, at the opening of her Kuia+ exhibition (March 23, 5:30pm) or at the Artist talk (March 24, 11am).
April kicks off with the Aratoi Artists Auction, featuring an exhibition (April 7-13) and sale (April 13, 5:30pm) of about 75 works by artists who have exhibited at Aratoi. This is a fundraiser. Please be generous and support your museum.
Sign up for email updates at the homepage of Aratoi website (www.aratoi.co.nz) and don’t forget that Aratoi also has a column every week in Wairarapa Midweek and Wairarapa News.
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