Art Focus: Pania makes an appearance at CAN

CAN general manager Lisa Feyen.

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CAN general manager Lisa Feyen.

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'Orbital; What goes around comes around' is in the Main Gallery.

by Lisa Feyen

On display at Creative Arts Napier now is the remarkable Celebrating Pania; 70 Years On exhibition, organised by The Breeze Hawke's Bay, which you definitely won't want to miss.

Mei Whaitiri, the original model who posed for the Napier Pania statue commission when she was just 13, was invited in July to a private sitting at CAN for nine selected Hawke's Bay artists.

Supported by her whānau, she spent the afternoon in the company of the artists, seated in a comfortable chair wearing a stately korowai (cloak) and looking as beautiful as she would have done 70 years ago.

Mei was photographed, sketched, painted and generally observed while having some insightful conversations about her lifelong connection with the legend of Pania of the Reef.

The nine artists, who include sculptors, painters, a photographer and a printmaker, then took their material away to create a piece of work over several weeks to include in the exhibition Celebrating Pania; 70 Years On.

An additional percentage of artwork sales from the exhibition will go towards a charity of Mei's choice; in this instance the Hukarere Girls' College Chapel Rebuild. As Mei's old school, this holds a special place in her heart. Some of the artists will be generously donating 100 per cent of their proceeds.

Te Manawa O Hukerere will be the name of the new chapel at Hukarere Girls' College.

In 2003 Hukarere Girls' College moved its operations from Matahorua, Bluff Hill to Herepoho, Eskdale. Along with Hukarere's students and staff, St Michael and All Angels' chapel was also relocated. It was carefully dismantled and placed in storage. Now 18 years later precious, taonga awaits a rebuild at its forever location at Herepoho, in Eskdale.

Join us in Celebrating Pania and view the results of the artists' endeavours in the Mezzanine Gallery at Creative Arts Napier until Friday, October 22.

The artists are all from Hawke's Bay and include Kay Bazzard, Clayton Gibson, Freeman White, Putaanga Waitoa, John Gisborne, Emily Armstrong, Michele Jung, Helen Dynes and Lisa Feyen.

Mark this in your calendars to come and view the results of the artists' endeavours, and celebrate the history and mana that surrounds the very special Napier Pania of the Reef public artwork.

Also, on display in the Main Gallery until Thursday, October 28 you can enjoy the work of 40 Hawke's Bay artists in Orbital; What goes around comes around.

The artists were invited to decorate, paint and embellish 40 concrete 'orbs' created by Gary Brooks for the Arts Festival, and to raise funds for Creative Arts Napier (a registered charity).

The concept caused great excitement within our arts community, and the 40 orbs that have been reimagined by the artists have to be seen to be believed.

The diversity and ingenuity of the work is astounding. Each orb is a unique one-of-a-kind 3D object that will be an heirloom for years to come, so pop in to CAN to see which one will take your fancy. All are priced to sell and looking for their forever homes.

If you read this in time, you may still be able to make it to the CAN Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, October 12 at 5.30pm. All are welcome to attend, and this year we will be enjoying the company of inspirational speaker Korrin Barrett, who will give a presentation on the importance of resilience in our ever-changing world, relating to her own personal story.

Find out more on Korrin's website; www.korrin.nz and come along to be inspired. Drinks and nibbles will be served and look out for an arty spot prize or two.

As school holidays draw to a close, our Term 4 classes are now open for bookings. We are proud to be hosting weekly evening classes in sewing, experimental printmaking, and beginners painting and drawing by the Pencil Room.

If you would like to try collagraph printmaking, CAN will be running a series of four weekly evening classes at Keirunga Gardens in Havelock North from Thursday, October 28.

Collagraphy is a really versatile printing process in which a textured plate is created, inked up and put through a press to create prints on paper.

Printmaker Cate Godwin will carefully guide participants through the process of creating plates and printing editions – ideal as Christmas gifts or to frame for your own home. Be prepared to get inky and have a few laughs – all in the beautiful setting of the Francis Bacon Studio at Keirunga Creative Hub.

Anything with a low relief texture can be stuck down and used to create texture on the plate — wallpaper, recycled packaging, leaves, fabrics, tapes and threads — in fact the options and opportunities for exploration and layering are endless.

Our CAN after-school art play weekly classes will also continue through Term 4, starting on Tuesday, October 26 at 4-5.30pm. Tutor Holi has a mountain of ideas up her sleeve to keep any 8 to 11-year-old happily creating masterpieces. Each term we finish with a small exhibition for friends and family to enjoy their creations and celebrate what they have learnt.

To book any of the CAN classes, email bookings@thecan.co.nz or call 06 835 9448.

■ We look forward to welcoming you to CAN, 16 Byron St, on your next visit. Ask us about the benefits of becoming a Friend of CAN, and don't forget we are open seven days per week from Monday to Saturday, 10am-4pm and Sunday, 10am-2pm. As CAN is a registered charity, donations are always welcome. Info: 835-9448, thecan.co.nz or Facebook.