Great Plate auction offers Whangarei a feast of art

Arts supporter Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in Whangarei recently announcing a $45 million Northland development package.

Amorangi Hikuroa, Peter Lange, Fiona Tunicliffe, Tony Ogle, Lester Hall and Jacinda Ardern are among the artists contributing to this year's Northland Craft Trust Great Plate fundraiser.

More than 80 renowned and emerging artists close to home and from around the country have donated plates for the annual online auction that raises funds for the Whangarei-based organisation that supports art and artists.

All the works will be publicly revealed for the first time at the festive opening exhibition of the Great Plates at the Yvonne Rust Gallery on July 13, starting at 5.30pm. Bidding opens on TradeMe at the same time and closes on July 23.

Karen Irwin, this year's Great Plate organiser, said she has been humbled by the number and talent of the contributing artists.

''The plates come in all shapes and sizes and materials — wood, metal, ceramic and mixed media. They have been variously sculpted, thrown, carved, painted, assembled, broken and reassembled, sometimes creating a finished product that has very little resemblance to a plate at all.

''The support from artists all over New Zealand has been phenomenal and the unique nature of each plate makes them truly collectable.''

The annual fundraiser last year contributed $7000 toward building a replacement wood- fired kiln.
This year's funds will go towards developing the remainder of the Quarry Arts Centre's kiln precinct, which is an open community facility.

Also coming to the party have been local businesses Quarry Arts Centre administrator, Ali Goodman said.

''Fastways Whangarei have been particularly amazing, cheerfully delivering the fired plates [to artists] all around New Zealand for us and then bringing them back again.
''And of course, most of all we appreciate and are grateful to all the artists that have donated their time and talent.''

This year the auction's reserve price for the Great Plates is $55. Great Plate artists' profiles can be viewed on the Quarry Arts Centre Facebook page.

SIDE BOX

Baby brain is a real thing so there's no knowing what Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's Great Plate artwork would be like after her infant daughter was born.

But beforehand, with politics on her mind, Ardern sent a signed ''doodle''— her word — called The Circles of Politics to be auctioned as part of the Great Plate annual fundraiser.
And yes, it is verified, she is the artist.

The piece will be a special addition to the Great Plate TradeMe auction and exhibition, where it will be displayed and up for bids alongside 80 works of art on plates.

Northland Craft Trust chair Kate Smedley said the Quarry Arts Centre is grateful to Ardern for taking the time from her busy schedule to provide a piece of art towards this year's fundraiser.

Veronica Green, now resident in Venice, and Bay of Island resident Lester Hall have also donated prints to be raffled during the Great Plate period.

The auction support artworks, including the Prime Minister's, will be revealed at the exhibition opening.