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Past ExhibitionsFine Art Prints for Hire Exhibition 5 – 28 February 2010    Almost 300 prints were collected by Fred Hall-Jones initially for the newly formed Art Gallery at Southland Museum to make art through the ages accessible to the schools and people of Southland. In 2004 Fred & Joan Hall-Jones donated them to The Riverton Arts Centre. This exhibition is to promote awareness of the framed collection The Arts Centre has available to rent. Prints by the Masters such as Fra Angelico, Sandro Botticelli, Paul Cezanne, John Constable, Salvador Dali and Michelangelo to name a few are available to rent at just $1.00 per painting per week. These are a great educational resource for schools in the study of Art and Art History with close to 300 available. Riverton Arts Centre Presents:
‘Miscellany’ By Jackie Jones and Brigitte Kämmlein     Our January 2010 Exhibition is entitled ‘Miscellany’ by Jackie Jones and Brigitte Kämmlein and runs from 2 January to 31 January 2010. Jackie is currently doing her honours in the Diploma of Art and Creativity at the Learning Connexion in Wellington. Brigitte, originally from Switzerland, is a graduate of Dunedin Art School where she studied printing with Marilyn Webb. She has been a White Pages Art Awards winner twice, in Timaru and Dunedin in 2008. At present she lives on the Otago Peninsula. The exhibition will include a variety of artworks from woodcuts and etchings, monoprints, collage, paintings and artists’ books. Affordable Art Exhibition – Art priced under $200 4 December – 31 December 2009 Yes, it’s that time of the year again, Christmas is looming and we’re hosting a colourful and affordable exhibition to nourish your soul and give your Christmas a creative kick. In this exhibition our aim is to exhibit art more accessible to those with limited incomes and budgets. December is a great month sales-wise, and especially summertime in Riverton when all the holiday-makers return to their holiday homes, and the visitors, local, national and international, come to our little River Town. So come and feast your eyes on our fantastic local, affordable art for all your Christmas needs! Featured Artists include: Mags Meechang, Dawn Barry, Sue Wademan, Danny Owen, Gwen Chaloner, WHere's Burt? Mota-Cicle Exhibition    Showcasing the 'Art of Motorcycles' to coincide with Burt Munro weekend for bike enthusiasts and art lovers alike! Wayne Hill in conjunction with The Riverton Arts Centre is presenting this unique and interesting exhibition not only in tribute to Burt Munro but to all those who tinker around in their 'Man Caves' (or garden sheds) with whatever they feel like! This is an exhibition that will showcase some of those aging (and not-so aging) bits of machinery transformed into both motorcycles and motorcycle art. Featuring a colourful collection of up & coming artists, young & old(ish), revealing a diverse range of styles and abilities. We have emerging artists from Riverton, Invercargill, Gore, and as far a field as Queenstown displaying their artworks. From Felted Egyptian Crown's, fox masks and Aesop's Fables to Graffiti Art and Contemporary Landscapes - something for everyone. Featured Artists: Gaye McElroy, Louise Craig, Danny Owen, Bex Pilley, Jacqueline Jones, Jill Howie, Helga Coolman, Gwen Chaloner, Hannah McCrostie, Kelly Cormack, Helen Flavell, Ann-Marie Jenkins, Merin Williams, Joy Mockford, Chris Love-Thomson, Ashleigh Mennell and Bonnie Gill. ‘The Beauty of Botanical Art’    Opening Night Friday 4 September 7.30pm With Artist Talk, Coffee & Cake Featuring ‘Specimen’; a contemporary jewellery exhibition by Lynn Kelly exhibited during the Christchurch Arts Festival in the Christchurch Art Gallery with botanical paintings and drawings by Tim Galloway. Jo Ogier and renowned New Zealand Botanical Artist Janet Marshall will also feature alongside floral artists from the Western Southland Floral Art Club and Macro-photographer Jenni Petterson. Lynn has been creating botanically-themed jewellery for many years, often using historical botanical illustrations as source material. Meanwhile Tim has worked as a botanical illustrator for 28 years, working for many institutions including Kew Gardens Herbarium, Te Papa and several universities. The exhibition combines these two backgrounds and talents. Three NZ native plants have been chosen for the show. Permission to collect specimens was kindly given by the Dunedin Botanic Garden. Tim pressed and mounted these specimens, which have now been accessioned into the Otago University Herbarium. From the herbarium specimens, Tim produced pen and ink illustrations, which he then hand-coloured in much the same way as historical botanical lithographs were. Lynn has produced works in a variety of media which reflect the botanical themes of the illustrations. The original herbarium specimens (which will later be sterilised and laid in to the Herbarium) are included in the show since they are the natural starting point from which all the exhibited work was developed. The resulting exhibition chronicles the meticulous order of the botanical illustrations, which give rise to Lynn’s more spontaneous work and some ‘looser’ botanically-inspired illustrations by Tim. NB: There is a gold coin entry for this exhibition (After opening night) as we are raising funds to host even more breathtaking events! Support your local Arts Centre, come along to opening night and chat with the artists and other like-minded folk. From Form to Fashion  If you love Art and you love Fashion this exhibition is for you! Riverton Arts Centre is hosting an exhibition entitled ‘From Form to Fashion’ beginning Friday 1 May – Sunday 31 May 2009 as part of Southland May Arts Month. In this exhibition we aim to take a small Southern NZ slice of that evolutionary process showcasing a selection of Southern artists who have contributed to the art fused fashion industry in one way or another. We are anticipating showcasing different mediums and processes that blend art, form, fashion and function. For example; fashion through photography, screen printing and the process of hand spun and dyed woollen apparel; to fibre-art and felted articles; to period garments, performance art costumes and wearable art. We will show the diversity of skills, techniques, ideas and samples of the creative fusions that selected Southland artists have produced. Opening night will be complete with a fashion show through the ages featuring a personal collection of vintage clothing from collector, Yannicka Malone, with matching era music. Opening night tickets are for sale at $10/person. (Includes fashion show and refreshments). Artists in Schools Project 2008    Artist Janet deWagt, was invited to work with Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 students to celebrate the 50 years James Hargest College has been open. 50 artworks were created symbolising the years 1958-2008 using a variety of media and techniques. The governing idea was to celebrate the schools 50th year 1958-2008, by creating commemorative, collaborative art works incorporating many aspects of the school and wider community during this time frame. Janet wanted the students to produce 50 long narrow art works to be displayed around the school as this is Janet’s signature format. After Janet’s introduction to the students and the art room environment, a studio area was set up for her to work in. Janet created artworks with themes from surrounding area to demonstrate her painting technique and style. She then discussed her technique and motivation for making art works; her working schedule, day to day commitments and work ethic. The ‘Cupcake Unit’ was integrated into the first paintings produced by the students. This unit involved icing cupcakes, photographing them and making paintings using Wayne Thiebaud as an artist model. Janet also made portrait studies of students working around the room and took photographs of students to keep a record and work back into at a later date. In the Keep New Zealand Green week 5-12 September Janet provided Kiwi templates for students to use to create images for Keep NZ green week. Students designed slogans envisaged to encourage the wider school to put their rubbish away in a bin. Each student had a letter from the slogan to create inside the kiwi templates which were arranged around the school to help focus on the Keep NZ green message. Also developed in conjunction with these other activities, were boards the students were working every lesson toward the end of the residency. Janet will helped the students make templates with stencils, woodblock prints, and other mark making utensils, sponges etc. A wide range of subject matter was used to produce these boards. Senior students, Year 11-13, also benefited from Janet’s input into their NCEA external folios as Janet offered advice and guidance to students working in the same studio area. James Hargest College staff also had the opportunity to work with Janet and created a personalised Art book. ‘From Across the Seas’- Janet de Wagt  Acknowledging her Dutch heritage has inspired artist Janet deWagt to create art works that reflect her love for her father’s native homeland. “From Across the Seas” celebrates her father’s journey to New Zealand, bringing with him his Dutch culture and family history. The imagery that her Father brings is the imagery of the 1950’s frozen at that point in time. All travellers to New Zealand have to come ‘over the seas’. With this in mind Janet has merged these visual images with her family history and her sense of New Zealand identity. The wave of Dutch immigrants in the 50’s is celebrated in Janet’s exhibition. As a kiwi child the family “across the seas” were symbolised by photographs, letters, Dutch food, and Dutch Gin! “I might have been brought up as a Kiwi, but genetically I can’t fight my gene pool” While it was a shock to Janet, her recent diagnosis of breast cancer has allowed her to add a twist to this exhibition. Janet acknowledges her cancer in her artworks and the “journey” that the disease has also travelled throughout her Dutch whakapapa and family history. Although I cannot speak Dutch, I haven’t escaped my Dutch genes and this has been made more significant by the diagnosis of breast cancer and subsequent mastectomy. Like Rembrant’s women, Janet is larger than life, her artworks reflect the energy, beyond the black and white shadows, putting the process in a visual context through Rembrant paintings. The glass hearts symbolise the shadows on the walls, continuous words from her childhood, Friesland and Dutch, the difference in language and in someways they appear as completely different countries. The Friesland canal boat bobbing around on a huge a Pacific Sea, symbolises what happened to a lot of the Dutch when they came here, “just bobbing up and down”, very isolated. The old traditional Dutch symbols slowly disappear and the ‘free’ symbols of New Zealand birds take over – in part my father always liked birds! I have used copper leaf and gold leaf, as that symbolises “old Dutch” for me. My father in his army uniform, shows what he left behind, his family, way of life on a small farm, and he was coming to a big unknown. He knew he would be working on a farm, hence the ‘sheep’. The Kiwis reflect Dutch colours, Dutch lace – the homeland, held together in memories, the past of the homeland is contained in the present. “From Across the Seas” exhibition is only the part of this journey. Janet has begun a large body of work which will continue expanding and travelling to other centers. As part of this process Janet is in the process of seeking a residency in Holland in order to further expand and develop the visual imagery of Dutch Migration to New Zealand exploring the Dutch view of immigration to the ‘other side'. A Balance of Options  A solo exhibition by Invercargill multi media and graffiti Artist 'DEOW' AKA Danny Owen. Born in the southernmost city of the world in the mid 1980’s; Deow, like most artists, exhibited a passion for drawing and scribbling from infancy. Nurtured by an artistic family, and fired with a fierce competitive spirit, he still recalls that his yearning to excel pitted him in torrid combatative brawls with pens and pencils against his equally driven cousins Adolescence was as troubled as anyone’s but he found a new sense of balance in a fate that took him to Anaheim, California. There, a vista of highway walls stretched in endless ribbons of graffiti across the landscape. Tenement blocks were carpet bombed with the unfettered outpourings of an unruly Californian Youth – soul and heartbeat and angst floated free as the air across the Californian landscape – a signature – a vibrant reminder that artistic expression is not content to subsist, diffidently within the breast but must sport and display itself before the eyes of the world. As a child to its mother’s milk, Deow suckled on the artistic licence of the new land. As his passions inflamed, huge gaps appeared in local spray can stocks. Armed with little more than his expressive urge and an OLD ENGLISH calligraphy font, He brought an antipodean idiom to the Los Angeles streets. His mark lingers there still – in places possible and impossible to reach. Deow returned to New Zealand possessed by a demonic urge to smother gray, lifeless, urban walls with hues and colours and the stuff of life. As the Californians pondered the mystery of his lingering idioms in Los Angeles, Deow splashed his mark across the dusty old walls of Southland and Otago. He layered the grime of centuries with the sparkle of new life and now apologises for any coronaries that the makeover caused the more conservative beneficiaries of his noble and gratuitous art. From then to now is but a whisper of breath - the heady anarchic days of youth are now tempered by the years; the outpourings mellowed by the experience and joy of life. Expression has taken on a new life, legitimacy and a new currency of meaning. His graffiti and street Art has found its way into the mainstream. Launched with a solo exhibition billed as Art of Fact, Deow has rehabilitated the raw rebellion of the streets into legitimate expression of soul and heart. He now teaches Art at the YMCA to young people with the same urgings as his own youth. So whilst he has the respectability of exhibiting with Southland’s best artists in the Annual Spring Exhibition , he also, now, brings an empathy to his classroom, encouraging and guiding and nurturing the creative spirit of youth When he is not teaching or doing commissions or working collaboratively, Deow fills his days with custom painting surf boards, design work, street style art and canvass work. The rest of his days, and many of his nights, he will indulge his other passion – surfing. For Deow, the sea is yet another canvas on which to express himself. He etches his way down the smooth faces and splashes and swirls through the spume, creating patterns and forms to tantalise with a mere whisper of existence. Who knows, perhaps these images filter through to the sub conscious mind and emerge, unbidden, into the oils and the brush stroke. Perhaps, when we see Deow riding the waves along the Riverton Coastline we are watching the birth of another artwork. Can you see the essence of Riverton in these works. Look harder, it will be there somewhere. Southern Landscapes   A selection of Southern Artists were invited to contribute to a 'Southern Landscapes' exhibition to start of the beginning of the 2009 arts year. We chose a 'Southern Landscapes' theme to celebrate our environment and the artists that capture the essence of where we live. Artists have committed images of the Southland Landscape to canvas since, the European settlers arrived in the province in the 1840’s, at the beginning providing the only visual record of the new country. Today this tradition continues with many Southland artists making their living in this genre. It is an accessible and popular art form – appealing to both residents and visitors in equal numbers. Images of Fiordland and the Wakatipu have been very well documented, but the Southland landscape is less well known. Our concept for this exhibition is to gather views of Southland from regionally important artists. Featuring artworks by: Nigel Wilson, Janet de Wagt, Pat Hall, John Husband, Wayne Edgerton, Kirk Munro, Rachel Hirabayashi, Dawn Barry, John Wishart, Brett Duncan, Inge Doesburg, Barry Robson, Jane Duncan, Maree Beker, and Tess Van Dijk. Entry: Free. All artworks are for sale. Where: Riverton Arts centre, 129 Palmerston Street, Riverton. Outdoor Odyssey    Sculpture by Stuart KingTake a journey through the Riverton Art Centre’s (Indoor) ‘Outdoor Odyssey’ exhibition this December and experience the 3 dimensional figures, shapes and forms created by local artists, sculptors, carvers, potters and furniture makers who have combined to deliver you a Summer garden art fiesta. Beginning at the entranceway of the Centre, a garden path welcomes you on your voyage of discovery and an exhibition delivers you an imaginative interpretation of our Kiwi obsession with outdoor living that merges art, function, entertainment and enjoyment. As you continue through the exhibition you can interact with pieces individually inspired, including interpretations of our natural environment, culture and Southern heritage; where 3 dimensional stories and emotions are skilfully conveyed and are creatively confined within the core of the object. Take a seat in one of the pieces of organic garden furniture that relax next to the clean lines of Oamaru stone sculptures and contemplate conceptual works by Invercargill sculptors John Wishart and Stuart King. Other contributing artists include: Karen Bickley, Wayne Hill, Gordon and Wendy Harris, Rob Smith and Clayton Roe. Entry is free, sales are very welcome. Aparima College Year 10 Street Banner Exhibition Proudly Sponsored by Lions International, The Southland Times and Southland District Council, and under the guidance of Anne-Marie Eastwood, Aparima College Year 10 Students have designed Street Banners depicting '150 Years of Education of Riverton and District Schools'. These Banners will be displayed in Palmerston Street, Riverton over the festive season. First Place awarded to Ashley Kennedy - St. Columba School 1913 - 1972 Second Place awarded to Danielle Boniface and Cate Dillon - Riverton Primary School 1974 Third Place awarded to Dean Van Brecht and Callum Ashley - Waipango School Highly Commended was Sam West and Eden Seater - Gummies Bush School 1866 - 1948 Also Highly Commended was Cassandra Scott-Laffey and Layla Buckland-Lonneker for their depiction of Riverton District High School 1859 - 1973 Schools represented in the exhibition include: Round Hill School, Fairfax School 1891 - 1957, Oraki School 1886 - 1938, Pahia School 1885 - 1971, Waimatuku School 1889 - 1990, Thornbury School 1883, Wild Bush School 1872 - 1947, Granity School 1912 - 1962, Ermedale School 1915 - 1939, Gropers Bush School 1872 - 1880, Solomans House School 1860 - 1890, Orepuki School 1872 - 2003, Colac Bay School 1880 - 1991 and Aparima College 1974. Of the 21 schools that were served the Riverton and Districts area, only 4 schools now remain. All Thingz R 2  Riverton 'surfies' Wayne Hill and Chris Flavell have combined their artistic forces in a single exhibition showcasing around 50 pieces of artwork that explore the duality of all things; not only reflected in the subject matter of each artists paintings, but in the differing styles of each artists work. These differences also have a cultural element with Wayne being of Pakeha descent and Chris, Maori. Wayne's artwork has an 'unstructured freedom' where Chris' paintings are very 'structured' and tackle subjects such as child abuse and depression. Each of Chris' paintings tell a story which is the purpose of Maori art and his interpretation of the exhibition title played on the daily cycle of the sun and moon. "As one takes over from the other, the other lets go". Wayne uses alot of castaway objects so he is not so restricted by the cost of materials. His paintings express alot of different emotions including the light-hearted, but many have also been influenced by the death of his Father just over a year ago. While the pair's artworks are "totally different" and "worlds apart" they are both saying the same thing. 3 OCTOBER - 26 OCTOBER, 2008 'HIDDEN FALLS AND OTHER PLACES' An exhibition of abstract in oils on linen and paper, by Emma Milburn, a Dunedin artist. Fascinating pieces, with some of the work relating to the South Island, in particular, the Hollyford area. MAY: 5th - 5th JUNE, 2008 NOT BORED - Wayne Hill Wayne Hill, a renowned surfer, poet and visual artist, is offering Riverton a unique show. He celebrates 40 years with a surfboard, so come and share his stories, feel the surf and ride the waves. “It started out being a distant ‘I dare’, a dream, a few years ago. Now, a celebration of 40 years of surfing, a way of telling you the many gifts a surfing life has given me. Being at one with nature, with reality, a way to wash away the world’s rubbish. Some days and some nights you go to a heaven, just you and your insignificance, basking in the beauty of it all. Which brings me to the here and now, a dream turned into a reality.”  TOASTING THE CHEESE ROLL There are different icons that are associated with Southland, whether it is the Bluff oyster, paua patties, muttonbirds, the cabbage tree, even Invercargill's import, Tim Shadbolt! The most understated icon of the South is, however, the humble toasted cheese roll. What can be more delicious than biting into toasted bread smothered in butter, a warm smooth creamy cheese filling mixing with the butter dripping down your chin? This, with a mug of hot soup for lunch during the coldest of a Southern winter, cannot be compared. The cheese roll is simple, sustaining and tasty and can be enjoyed anytime for a snack, breakfast, morning tea, supper, or during a sports game. The toasted cheese roll must be the biggest fundraiser in Southland, providing funding for community projects, such as Schools and Sports Clubs, and is found in most cafes, lunch bars, and supermarkets. It is believed that the cheese roll is only relevant to Southland, its history, according to recipe books dates back to the late 1950's and early 1960's, resulting in an evolution of various fillings over time. We welcome anyone with a story to tell about the cheese rolls, what memories does the delicacy evoke for you? On September 27th, 2008 the Riverton Community Arts centre organised a fun day, towards the end on the exhibition of 'Toasting The Cheese Roll.'A chance for individuals and business people to compete for the best cheese roll title with a trophy. In addition, an exhibition relating to cheese rolls, the history of its origins, and inviting stories about the cheese roll with their recipes. Poems and stories from all ages were popular with the public. Profiles featuring well known identities, with their memories and opinions of the cheese roll, as they chatted informally on a DVD presented throughtout the exhibition. The fundraising day which sold cheese rolls as a fundraiser and thoughtout the month, also featured a cheese roll making demonstration, 'How many cheese rolls can you eat?' eat off, "Guess the Weight of the pkt of cheese rolls." An auction finished off the day, with a 'piece de art' kindly painted by Nigel Brown, and six wonderful cartoons created with a cheese roll flavour from 'Chicane.' |