Artist helps to raise funds

Bob and Chris Wakefield won a Trade Me bid for Franki James's artwork Amalgamation - the stuff of knight mayors! with proceeds going to the Limitless Hope appeal. Photo / Supplied

Bill Dalton may have been outbid on a painting portraying the amalgamation debate - but others can still get their hands on an original work by local artist Franki James.

The Napier mayor was depicted in one of her controversial pieces Amalgamation - the stuff of knight mayors! but was outbid by $1 on Trade Me. Hastings couple Bob and Chris Wakefield took the artwork home for $200, with all proceeds directed to the Limitless Hope Emergency Shelter Appeal.

Ms James gave an additional $100 to boost the total donation - now she's looking to do even more to help the dedicated family's cause.

Kiri and Kevin Swannell started a soup truck to feed Napier's homeless in 2013 and ever since then have pitched in with advocacy work and expressed the need for an emergency shelter.

Their goal is to stop people from reaching the point of sleeping rough in order to break the cycle. With property brokers donating a building they are one step closer to that dream, but money is still needed to get the service up and running.

Hawke's Bay Today are running an appeal to support the cause and help gather resources.

After submitting three artworks to Art-x national art exhibition organised by Greenmeadows Rotary, Ms James expected an invite for 2015 and started work on three new pieces with a social commentary thread.

Her chosen subjects? Horse of the Year, Hawke's Bay Opera House and the Ruataniwha Dam Project.

When she was not asked to return she put two new mixed-media artworks on display during an internal exhibition at the Napier Arts Club where they placed first and second, taking out a social comment trophy.

Following that success she opened an alternative one-woman exhibition at Creative Arts Napier [CAN] on Tuesday.

The exhibition will run for the next two weeks, with proceeds [minus commission] poured into a Givealittle fund for Limitless Hope. The total must hit $100,000 by the end of this month if monetary pledges are to materialise.

Ms James has used art to raise funds for various worthwhile causes, including Cranford Hospice, Creative Arts Napier, the New Zealand Red Cross, Art in the Park and Art-x.

"The Swannell family now have their sights firmly set on the future so, who knows, perhaps next year other similarly-excluded artists might have the courage of their convictions and join me in a parallel exhibition as an ongoing fundraiser for the emergency shelter project which, hopefully, will be up and running by then," Ms James said.

Another event was arranged on Saturday at the Flaxmere Tavern carpark to fundraise for the Swannells. There will be mini hot rod rides, food, music, bouncy castles and more from 9am to 3pm.