Artists open their studios to inspire Whanganui

LOCAL ART: From left, cousins Ling Mitchel, Yvonne Rees and Raewyn Sopp admire glass art by Vicki Rogers at The Glass Factory. PHOTO/BEVAN CONLEY

The Glass Factory studios in Gonville have been humming this weekend for the start of Artists Open Studios Whanganui.

More than 100 artists working in 64 studios are opening their studios to the public for Whanganui's biggest annual art event.

The Glass Factory is the studio of glass artist David Traub and painter Lorraine Webb, and also features two other glass artists, Vicki Rogers and Libby Gray.

Mr Traub and Ms Webb said they were very pleased with how the weekend had gone.
"It could not have been better," Mr Traub said.

"We normally get about 115 people through on the first Saturday of Open Studios. This time we had 190."

Sales from the first Saturday alone exceeded sales for the entire Open Studios event last year, Mr Traub said.

Ling Mitchel, Raewyn Sopp and Yvonne Rees are three Whanganui cousins who were spending their Sunday on the Open Studios trail. They had visited around nine studios and purchased a small piece of art.

Ms Sapp and Ms Rees said they try to visit different studios every year. Ms Mitchel has only recently returned to Whanganui and said she was very much enjoying visiting the studios.

"It's fabulous. There's so much amazing art happening in Whanganui.

"It's been a really nice day - we stopped and had a coffee somewhere then carried on to the next studio."

Open Studios coordinator Serena Siegenthaler-Brown said she had been receiving very positive feedback on the event from studios and visitors alike.

Open Studios continues next weekend. The Starting Point exhibition - which contains one artwork from nearly every participating studio - is showing at Whanganui Arts at the Centre until March 28.