New Site – Better Art Action!

FESTIVAL OF THE ELEMENTS
WAITANGI DAY
6 February 2008
Elsdon Park and Mana College grounds,
Porirua

www.elementsfestival.org.nz

MEDIA RELEASE – January 24, 2008
New Site – Better Art Action!

The new site for this year’s Festival of the Elements in Porirua has provided more room for an expanded Kapi-Mana News ART ACTION!

Organiser Sue Garden-Bachop says the new site at Elsdon Park and Mana College has been a bonus for the Art Action programme, which provides free art and active workshops for the under 13’s.

“Thanks to the change of venue, Kapi-Mana News ART ACTION! can offer multi-sport challenges this year,” Ms Garden-Bachop says.

“On the tennis courts next to the gymnasium, under 13s can compete to get their name on a Leader Board in soccer, cricket, basketball and a speed obstacle course.

“This year we are also bringing back the big, mobile rock climbing wall, introduced at last year’s festival, for children to have a go at using abseiling gear. It was immensely popular last year, so it’s back by popular demand. The children will be supervised by Hang Dog experts,” Ms Garden-Bachop says.

Leading Artist for Festival

Another feature this year will be the painting of a huge mural at the Festival by one of New Zealand’s foremost trompe l’oeil (trick of the eye) muralists, Marc Spikerbosch.

“Marc will be in the gym painting from 11am through to 4pm, assisted by a small group of Mana College art students,” Ms Garden-Bachop says.

“Over the last decade, he has painted around 300 trompe l'oeil works for hotels, restaurants, residential, commercial, and civic clients. His work takes him throughout New Zealand and overseas. So this will be a real treat for the Festival!”

Marc plans to paint a local landscape in classic trompe l'oeil genre, engineering the artwork to suit some of his novice helpers.

Ms Garden-Bachop says popular local stone carver, Aaron Frator, will return to the Festival this year to assist youngsters to create their own stone sculptures.

“We’ll also have trampolining, mask making, kindy gym, body art, cartoon drawing, ceramics, balloon decorating, the chalk walk, jewellery making, colouring, and runway displays. It’s a wonderful mixture this year of old favourites, and some great new features!”

Kapi-Mana ART ACTION! is held as part of the annual Festival of the Elements in Porirua on Waitangi Day, Wednesday February 6th.

The full Festival programme is featured on the Festival website at www.elementsfestival.org.nz

ENDS

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