Children’s art exhibited at Cooks Gallery over school holidays

Rei Hendry with a collaborative work of art painted by a number of children which was presented to a grandparent who donated art supplies to the Wanganui Art Society.

Children’s art will be exhibited at Cooks Gallery, nestled in Trafalgar Place, over the school holidays between 10am-2pm, manned by parents and students.

There are children’s art classes during school terms at Art House at 20 London St, on Tuesdays from 4pm-5pm and Thursdays from 5pm-6pm.

Rei Hendry, long-standing president of Wanganui Arts Society, has a passion for children’s art, as she taught at Rutherford Intermediate in the 1970s.

She was appointed as the art adviser to schools for the Whanganui-Rangitikei area, culminating eventually in covering from Hawke’s Bay down as far as Levin, Taranaki, Waimarino, and Rangitīkei, working in schools to set up art programmes.

Part of the permanent collection of artwork in the back room at Cooks Gallery.

“I watched these develop and grow,” said Rei. “I was lucky, lots of those teachers became personal friends. Their commitment to visual arts was absolutely wonderful.

“Some of those people are now on my committee, they have retired now, but are passionate and enthusiastic.

“For adults, we have regular workshops through the Wanganui Arts Society. We’ve had night painting workshops, several weekends ago we did a charcoal portrait painting workshop.

“Every Monday morning, from 10am-12 noon, we have a very strong group of people who come in and make their own individual artworks - paintings, prints, watercolours, acrylics, craft-type projects, with all encouraging and helping each other.”

There is a permanent display at the back of the Cooks Gallery with paintings and artwork dating back to the 1920s.