Creative Arts Napier (CAN) wants to let locals know it is here and its doors are open to everyone.
Creative Arts Napier (CAN) wants to let locals know it is here and its doors are open to everyone.
Time and time again I hear visitors to Creative Arts Napier (CAN) say - “we didn’t know you were here, what a fabulous space”.
For those of you who don’t know where we are, CAN lives at the back of the car park on Byron St behind Te Pania Hotel in the historic Borough Council Building. This building was moved from the museum site and was formerly the Education Centre.
Years ago Creative Napier ran festival programmes from an office on the mezzanine. It is fitting that this space is now our permanent home.
On December 12, 2014, after a state-of-the-art fit-out, CAN opened its doors to the community. Next year we celebrate our 10th birthday at Byron St and are planning a big party – watch this space.
Creative Arts Napier (CAN) general manager Tania Wright.
Currently, we are delighted to feature an exhibition from the Professional Weavers Network of NZ. I can’t encourage you enough to take the time to come and view these outstanding works of art that look fabulous in our Main Gallery, thanks to the handiwork of our in-house curator Carol Goodier.
This tactile exhibition blends imagination, skill and creative flair. Ngahere – The Bush of Aotearoa brings together some of New Zealand’s most talented weavers. Featuring more than 45 stunning artworks, including hand-woven textured and gauze fabrics, tapestries, jacquard weaves, floor rugs and cushions, this show explores all aspects of the New Zealand bush.
This installation of hand-woven works offers a unique way of experiencing the great beauty of the New Zealand bush expressed through the work of highly skilled and talented weavers.
Currently on display at CAN is an exhibition from the Professional Weavers Network of NZ.
Taking their inspiration from the wide variety of experiences to be found in the bush, and reflecting them in a kaleidoscope of textures, colours and filtered light, the weavers have interpreted the theme in many different ways – keeping the textures and colours of the bush of Aotearoa in mind, though not necessarily being literal in the approach.
Coming up for Winter Art Deco Weekend, we have up on our mezzanine the Art of Art Deco featuring the evolution of the posters created for the summer festival from 1989–2023.
This exhibition includes information about the creation and creators of the images. Alongside this exhibition will be knitted masterpieces of 1930/40s fashion kindly on loan from our Saturday morning knitters group that meets in our member’s lounge, beginning on July 21.
Winter Art Deco Weekend CAN will be displaying Art of Art Deco featuring the evolution of the posters created for the summer festivals.
After shows in various Auckland galleries, World Clay Collab is opening soon at Creative Arts Napier.
Ultimately 43 artists from seven countries contributed their work to this project and, with much excitement, the exhibit was set to open in Las Vegas City Hall in February 2020.
However, another unexpected global extravaganza took centre stage, and the first lockdowns took place in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite this, the exhibit moved from City Hall to the Victor F. Keen Gallery of Clay Arts Vegas.
It was then displayed in the Virtual Gallery of The University of North Dakota, followed by the Red Peak Gallery of the First State Bank of Wyoming.
It then went to the Goodstein Art Gallery of Casper College in Wyoming, finally, it was shown at the gallery of The George School in Pennsylvania. The exhibition has finally made its way to our shores.
Please join us at the opening on Friday, July 12 at 5pm – all welcome.
We are keen to run more workshops at the CAN and are looking for tutors. If you are interested in joining our team please contact our bookings manager Michelle at bookings@thecan.co.nz or Tania @manager@thecan.co.nz.
