Art talks put public in the picture

POPULAR: Aratoi curator Susanna Shadbolt leads Aratoi's "lunchtime art bites" discussion about John Bevan Ford's art. PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA

Art talks at Aratoi Museum of Art and History in Masterton have taken off, with almost 20 visitors stopping by on Wednesday to discuss the Rutherford Trust Collection.

Artists and the public alike were engaged by the "lunchtime art bites" talk about the late John Bevan Ford, who was one of New Zealand's most renowned Maori artists.

Aratoi curator Susanna Shadbolt led the discussion and was impressed by the number of people who joined the lunchtime talk.

"I think it's really engaging for the community," she said.

"People are able to connect with like-minded people, who come together and have a discussion and discover things together.

"It's actually quite a diverse range of people. It's really only a trial to see what the response is like, but I think generally people like to get together and connect with people that share a common interest.

"I think it will probably take off. I was surprised to see that many people today, which is lovely."

Masterton-based artist Sam Ludden was in attendance and thoroughly enjoyed the art talk.

"It's a good way to spend the lunchtime, and it's definitely an impressive collection," he said.

The collection is on permanent loan to the Wallace Arts Trust and features notable and important works by New Zealand artists.

An agreement was created with the Wallace Arts Trust last year to retain a portion of the collection in Aratoi.

The art talks such as the one held on Wednesday are an opportunity for visitors to re-acquaint themselves with an important collection regarded as essential to New Zealand art history.

Future talks will be held at noon on August 5 and August 12 at Aratoi, and will discuss artists Gordon Walters and Phillipa Blair.