CAN offers new exhibitions and Summer Market

Some of the stalls at the 2022 Can market.

There are several new exhibitions in our space throughout December, alongside the launch of our Summer Market in the main gallery here at CAN. Running seven days a week throughout December and into January, the CAN Summer Market is a wonderful showcase of work from local artisans. With Christmas nearly upon us, we will have a gallery full of gorgeous gifts to choose from for that special someone, including you.

Join us on the opening night on Friday, December 1 from 5pm-7pm and be among the first people to shop the market. With live music, a food truck, late-night shopping and refreshments provided by our new sponsor Zeffer, it is set to be a fabulous evening to welcome in summer.

Also opening at CAN on December 1 is For the Love of Lino, a group exhibition by the talented artists who participated in Lisa Feyen’s Linocut evening classes for beginners this year, and the monthly Lino Club for more advanced students.

The work on display is the result of the beginners’ investigation into reduction printing with lino – a technique where each layer of colour is printed from one carved block. Most of the work was created during Term 4, although many members of the group also attended classes in Term 3.

Meanwhile, Lino Club students have followed their own passions and interests in order to create work in a variety of media to reflect their increasing skills.

Lisa Feyen’s Lino Club in action.

“During their sessions, both groups have formed strong friendships and developed a thriving passion for printmaking. They have experienced the highs and lows of working through challenges and frustration to achieve their desired result, and have been rewarded with happy accidents along the way,” Feyen said.

“Printmaking is a medium that offers boundless possibilities and endless scope for learning. This exhibition is a celebration of both groups’ achievements, and an opportunity for them to share their success with family and friends.”

Please feel welcome to join the printmakers and celebrate the opening of their exhibition.

Sandra Howlett brings a riot of colour to our foyer this December with her new exhibition Spring to Summer, a stunning collection of retro flora photography.

“Branching away from my usual dark painting commenting on the destruction of the world with too much detritus, I have taken a 180-degree turn to focus my attention on the colourful, bright and everyday [subjects] that I see through my lens,” Howlett said.

“I have a fascination with ‘60s ornaments and the beauty in their peculiarity, pairing this with hydrangeas and dahlias. Both plants are common household garden ‘fillers’, and yet bloom prolifically and with bursts of intense colour in their season. These photos bring me joy as they remind me, after the year we have had in Hawke’s Bay, that natural beauty returns and conquers, giving hope.”

Vase 2 by Sandra Howlett.

And from Sandra’s students, we are delighted to present Kei ōu ringaringa tea o – The World is Yours.

“These Year 10 visual art students from Sacred Heart College in Napier have produced artworks that explore the concept of culture. We looked at a range of ways of making art through design, photography and sculpture/assemblage. They were asked to generate, develop and refine ideas to portray an interpretation of what culture means to them. As well as investigating and considering the relationship of their life and traditions from their culture and identifying the context, they are making, viewing and valuing the artwork,” Howlett said.

“In addition, the Catholic social teaching principle of solidarity is about recognising others as our brothers and sisters, and actively working for their good. In our connected humanity, we are invited to build relationships – whakawhanaungatanga – to understand what life is like for others who are different from us. By sharing our interpretation of our own identity and culture, we are opening up avenues of sharing and understanding differences.”

For many students, this will be their first time exhibiting their work in a public space. The work will be available to view in our Small Gallery from Friday, November 24 until noon on Thursday, December 7.

Kim Cleverton’s new exhibition opens at our Hastings Street Gallery from December 1.

Cleverton is a regular and popular exhibiting artist at Creative Arts Napier. Her stunning atmospheric paintings and unique skyscapes create moods and fascinate visitors. The Hawke’s Bay artist is originally from Melbourne, having moved to Napier in 1977. Cleverton started painting in acrylics in 2019. Painting has become a passion, and she is fortunate to have works in private collections in Canada, the US, Australia and all around New Zealand.

“[It’s] a continuation of my imagined landscapes and seascapes, with the focus on the skies. Some are easy to recognise as forms, while with others I’ve gone very abstract in a soft way, as I want the viewer to see what they see. It’s all open to interpretation. So, imagine what you want. Enjoy,” Cleverton said of the exhibition.

As always, we look forward to welcoming you into our space and hope to see you soon.