Taranaki artists showcased in Govett-Brewster's window gallery project

A is for Absence by Taranaki artist Milarky. Photo / Supplied

The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/Len Lye Centre has teamed up with the Taranaki Arts Trail to bring art home to the public and support local artists during the lockdown.

The New Plymouth District Council run gallery has invited Taranaki artists to turn their own windows into galleries to not only bring art to their streets but also online, so that audiences can continue to see new exhibitions in their neighbourhoods or online during the Covid-19 emergency.⁠

The gallery will launch a new theme via Instagram every Thursday – based on a letter of the alphabet - and will share the window galleries as they are created.

So far artists such as Milarky, Ché, Joni Murphy (North Taranaki Arts Society) and Viv Davy have taken part, sharing both their artworks and how they are using their creative practices to respond to the current situation.

"It's an opportunity for both the Govett-Brewster and the Taranaki Arts Trail to bring art home to everyone and for audiences to get to know the thriving local arts scene here in Taranaki," says co-directors Aileen Burns and Johan Lundh.

"It also ties in nicely with our own Open Window series which has been bringing art to the street for more than a decade."

Artist Milarky says the window gallery project is great.

"During an era where access to direct artwork in galleries is not allowed, the Studio Window project encourages the interception of artists' current work with real world delivery."

The gallery has been finding ways of bringing fresh art and cultural content online, while it has remained temporarily closed in response to current lockdown measures.

Its weekly online Family Art Toi Ma Te Whanau, which has been bringing online activities that can be done at home, has caught the attention of Creative NZ and its Thankful for Art Campaign, while its Art of series aims to marry different art forms with visual artworks, with the recent Art of Poetry being supported by Pop-Up Poetry Taranaki, to invite audiences to respond to artworks with their own poems.

It also recently launched a Community Film Project, inviting audiences to submit a short film, capturing one day of life in their bubble – it's free to enter and open to all ages.