Good for the soul

ART FOR GOOD: From left, Vickey Ryan and Angela Llauder were at the Faces of the Coast opening, raising money for mental health. Picture supplied

Surf, art and coffee have come together for the good of mental health this month at Lowe Street's JBC Cafe.

Faces of the Coast opened on Friday night with a solid turn-out. The paintings are on sale to raise money for Mahia Wave Warriors to aid in the work they do in the community.

“We have a major problem with suicide and mental health here in beautiful Aotearoa. Many of us have lost loved ones or know someone battling with mental illness,” said Brett Summerlee, one of the organisers.

The exhibition is in memory of Danny Carse.

“In 2020, we sadly lost one of our brothers, like many cases, an amazingly talented and loving human gone far too early.

“This essential organisation is doing great things in our community to support grieving families and provide positive programmes to ensure a better, brighter future.”

The sales format for the exhibition is slightly different from your usual gallery.

Faces of the Coast has a TradeMe- style bidding system. Some paintings have a Buy Now option while the rest are like an auction with bids coming in over time.

The exhibition and auction will be open until the end of November.

Brett Summerlee thanked Jase from JBC Cafe, Wayne from Mahia Wave Warriors, the Sunshine Brewery team and all the artists that donated their time and work.

“As we know mental health has many different faces, not easily detected and can be an ongoing journey for some.”