A range of creative people are coming together for the first ArtsMad of 2020, with many inspiring stories to share.
ArtsMad is a visual presentation evening which takes place four times a year.
People from the wider arts community talk about what they do alongside a rolling show reel ofimages. Each speaker has 20 images and six minutes to present them.
The next evening is on Tuesday, February 11 and there will be eight speakers.
Peri Grant is a local-born Ngāti Pikiao musician, who started music late in life after a near-death accident.
He says with copious amounts of boredom while in hospital, he picked up a harmonica and focused on learning it.
He had always loved the sound of the harmonica and the blues, and this was the opportunity to new beginnings.
Peri loves performing, working mainly as Hammer On Duo with Jimmy Murray, playing originals and covers locally in restaurants, bars, private functions, festivals in the Bay of Plenty and further afield.
This performance work has included some international appearances.
Karen Hansen. Photo / Supplied
Karen Hansen is a mixed media artist with more than 15 years of industry experience and a Bachelor of Creative Technologies.
"My favourite subjects to explore within my practice are healing, contemporary understandings of enlightenment, the natural world, trauma and vulnerability, self love, ancestral wisdom, personal and collective empowerment applied with relevance today."
Karen is currently studying Post Graduate Mentoring and Professional Leadership, as she builds a unique empowerment-centered creative practice, teaching/leading workshops and events, exhibiting fine art and working therapeutically with individuals.
Karen will be speaking about her inspirational process, sharing her vision for the future, and why every single person working toward growth and transformation is the way to change the world.
Israel Randell. Photo / Supplied
Israel Randell is a contemporary artist whose practise experiments with moving image, performance and spatial installations.
These works explore metaphorical and physical spatial investigation informed by cosmological theories of space and time.
Israel says she will be talking about her art practice and her personal journey.
"I always look forward to meeting other creatives and people in the community that are excited by or are doing artistic things in their work or personally."
Lewis Alex Walker. Photo / Supplied
Lewis Walker is an artist, filmmaker and animator.
He chooses to spend his time creating characters and stories and currently lives in Rotorua, but will soon be moving to Wellington where his university is located.
Chris says he is going to be talking about Jim Dornan and his work, which has been shown in some prestigious places.
He says he is looking forward to introducing Jim's story to a group of people who may have never heard of him before.
"I think it's an interesting story, and in that sense I become a storyteller."
Rakeiuekaha Kingi. Photo / Supplied
The year 2001 heralded Rakeiuekaha Kingi's carving career as a student at The New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute.
After departing from the institute in 2004, he established a private company specialising in traditional tribal styles of Māori wood carving and painting.
Since then he has been working full time as a local, national and international artist and has recently added stone carving to his skill set.
Maria Hermans loves creativity and has since she was a wee tot - always making, painting, getting into mum's make up, dressing up and playing fantasy.
This continued through her high school years.
While studying Advanced Diploma in Art and Design at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology (then Waiariki), the concept for her graduate exhibition was focused on re-engaging with childhood imagination.
Elements of exploration, playfulness, working from the subconscious, spontaneity and curiosity remains pivotal to her creative journey today.
In late 2019 she began a new adventure into the world of stage set design, creating the set for the musical theatre performance of Grease.
The details - What: ArtsMad - When: Tuesday, February 11, 5.30pm to 7.30pm - Where: The Monarch Room, Prince's Gate Hotel - Entry is a gold coin koha.
