Porirua Arts Trail back bigger and better than ever

A diverse community festival that takes everything from painting and weaving to 3D printing and textiling out of artist’s homes and displays it across Porirua, returns next weekend.

Ravai Titifanue of the Colour Closet clothing label displays some of her dresses that will be on show at the Bluebell Club, one of the stops on the 2019 Porirua Arts Trail.

The Porirua Arts Trail, returning for its second year, thanks to the Friends of Pātaka, will see artists exhibit at 30 different sites around Porirua, Pukerua Bay, Tawa and Linden, on 16 and 17 of March.

The exhibition will include work as varied as paintings, sculptures, weaving, printing, crafting, textiling, fabric making, pottery, photography, 3D printing, and more.

With Pātaka Gallery + Museum as the hub and main exhibiting space, work will also be shown at the Mana Arts Society Clubrooms, The Gear Homestead’s Woolshed, The Bluebell Club at the Harbour’s Edge, Whitireia, the Masonic Hall and a host of arts studios around the city.

Pātaka Curator Community Exhibitions, Emma Kitson, said she was delighted to welcome the Porirua Arts Trail back for a second year.

“It proved to be such a runaway success last year we had to hold it again this year, and it’s back even bigger and better than 2018.

“Many artists produce art in their own homes, often in small studios, or on their own kitchen tables.

“This event gives us the chance to combine the work of a host of great artists and present it to the community in spaces that are open and accessible to the public.”

Notable artists exhibiting include Michel Tuffery, Graeme McIntyre, Alistair McDonald, Clare Matthews, Robyn Hall, Ashwini Chaskar, Alicja Gear, Ina uliui Todd, Tivaevae Mamas and Adele Hickford.

Groups of artists exhibiting include the Tokelau Artists, The Bluebell Club, the NZ Myanmar Ethnics Council, and Toi Poutama, graduates from Whitireia’s weaving programmes.

Friends of Pātaka Organiser Sue Mortlock said they had made a real effort to make the two-day art celebration as diverse as possible.

“We are so lucky here in Porirua to have so many different artists, from such different backgrounds, producing so much amazing art in so many different mediums.

“Building on the success of last year’s event we wanted to make sure that this year we represented as wide a cross-section of that artistic community as possible.

Kitson said the festival also provided an opportunity for artists across Porirua who would often work in isolation to meet up and network, strengthening the connections in the city’s art community.

ENDS

Facebook Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/724273731277954/

Arts Trail Brochure Link: https://www.pataka.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/ArtsTrailBrochure2019.pdf

Pātaka Website Link: https://www.pataka.org.nz/friends-of-pataka-arts-trail-2019/

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