Brydee Rood has a solid reputation as an installation artist, creating art in response to critical environmental issues. She is a site-specific artist and environmental performance and video artist. She is also art tutor at Whanganui Creative Space, where art of many kinds is produced and the walls bear artistic witness with a colourful record of art produced in the room. She took on the job in July, last year.
"I've worked in this field for quite a long time, already. After I did my Masters in Fine Arts in Auckland, I worked at Starship Children's Hospital doing art and creative programming with teenagers for five years part-time, as well as doing my own artistic practice."
She then followed opportunities overseas before working for Mapura Studios, based in Auckland. "They're a well-established community open-access art studio, similar to Whanganui Creative Space. I worked as an art tutor for them for nearly two years, which is just before I moved down to Whanganui."
There were a few practical and personal reasons why Whanganui became her place of residence, but the pull of the strong art community was a big one.
"I had done work with the Sarjeant Gallery in 2016-2017 and that was a really good experience for me, so that also felt like another reason to choose Whanganui," says Brydee.
Creative Space is a part-time job, leaving her time for her own art practice.
"This is the kind of work that inspires me, so it's a good balance."