Artist Michelle Estall's legend and legacy

The Incubator has created exhibition opportunities for emerging artists, such as Michelle Estall. Photo/supplied

Legend and Legacy is an exhibition by first-time exhibitor Michelle Estall.

Michelle is described as an emerging artist.

Michelle studied art and design at AUT but put art on the backburner while she worked her way up the ladder in the casino industry for 13 years. Michelle connected with The Incubator after responding to an open call for artists in 2015 for a group exhibition. It was the first time publicly submitting works and she subsequently participated in two more group exhibitions where every one of her works sold.

Michelle states, "I have always found the team at The Incubator Creative Hub really encouraging and supportive of my work, so the space was my obvious choice when I finally plucked up the courage to work toward a solo show. I am extremely grateful that when I approached Simone Anderson about the show, she offered to help me out by providing a scholarship to help me through the process."

In 2017 The Incubator Creative Hub established an emerging artist first solo exhibition programme with a grant from the Tauranga City Community development match fund. The Incubator Creative Hub director Simone Anderson says the series is a commitment to supporting and valuing emerging Bay of Plenty artists "with opportunities for the exhibition and promotion of their work to the public and to be assigned a professional mentor for the lead up to the show.

Michelle was well and truly on our radar as a promising artist and was the perfect candidate for this opportunity. She is determined, committed and responds well to her wonderful mentor in terms of artist development advice."

Michelle's mentor is Graham Crow - a highly esteemed local artist with many years experience in the art business as a practitioner and curator. The fire was ignited for Michelle after poignant visit with her father to his Muriwhenua tribal territory. Learning about and connecting with her Maori heritage Ko Te Rarawa and Te Aupouri nga and meanings of the place names gave rich inspiration for the body of work which is Legend and Legacy.

Michelle's father, who is depicted in a power piece in the exhibition, was the son of the marriage between a local Maori woman from Te Kotahitanga in Whangape and a migrant Croatian gumdigger. - Supplied

the fine print
What: First solo exhibition recipient Michelle Estall - Legend & Legacy
Where: The Incubator Gallery
When: Opens tomorrow, 5.30pm, and runs until October 30.