The heart of Tauranga's central business district is to be transformed into a thriving art Mecca this weekend, as the art community comes together for Creative Tauranga's first Art Fair.
Creative Tauranga community gallery curator and arts advisor John Beech is pretty excited.
"I guess we have seen Art in the Park and
the Garden and Arts Festival but to actually have 90 artists individually is a first for Tauranga," Beech says.
This weekend's art fair is the first of its kind, promising a swag of creative goodies.
"Weather going well, it should be a great day. We have artists from Opotiki through to Katikati, with everything from clay work, portraits, sculptures and paintings."
"We have got buskers coming in for the day and we might find people setting up an easel and doing some art there in the street."
The art fair takes over the lower CBD area, with sections of Willow St, Wharf St and Red Square blocked off to traffic and transformed into a buzzing art market. Tauranga parking buildings in Durham St and Elizabeth St have also offered free all-day parking for art fair-goers.
"I think the whole thing is about bringing people into the CBD and revitalising the CBD."
People walking through the central city this week might have already noticed art from established artists popping up in display windows. Retailers were keen to show their support by offering a visual prelude to the event, Beech says.
Such support has helped with the fruition of the event, which got a whopping response from the art community when it was first announced back in October.
Beech admits he was a little overwhelmed at first. "We sold out. We had a lot of interest from people wanting to take part."
Some of those artists have since been called down to Christchurch, in the wake of the devastating February 22 quake. But Beach says there was no delay in filling their spots.
Creative Tauranga chief executive Tracey Rudduck-Gudsell says the art fair would create an environment with such a wide spectrum of work, there would be something for everyone - including the more budget-conscious art lovers.
The team at Creative Tauranga will be in among the stalls and their Willow St office.
"We are really looking forward to it," Rudduck-Gudsell says.
