Catherine Macdonald at work in her studio.
Covid-19 may have altered the landscape and caused disruption to events around the country, but Artists Open Studios in Whanganui is going ahead.
"We've kept in constant touch with the DHB, Council, Whanganui and Partners, they've all been for it, but our final reasoning for staying open was, even with the
drop-out, we have 64 studios still taking part," says event co-ordinator, Charlie Meyerhoff. "There is some quality work in those 64 studios. That's from Aramoho to Castlecliff to Marton."
She says if you look down Whanganui's main street everything is still open and operating.
People from all over New Zealand have been messaging through social media, asking if the event is still on.
"We'll be getting small numbers at each studio." She says they have encouraged artists, as busy as they are already, to think about where people can go to maintain social distancing. That means outdoor spaces, other rooms, maybe a place with tables, chairs and refreshments. "I think it's going to add to the event, and maybe it's something we can look to every year. If they've got a nice garden space they can look at putting things out there." She says it adds to the experience for people visiting Whanganui and Artists Open Studios. Charlie likes the idea of artists sharing their studios with other artists, to make each place a bigger destination. She is confident we will still get a lot of out-of-town visitors, which she hopes will help the local hospitality industry.
"Look back in history and [you see] art always brought light in dark times, and at the minute with everything that's going on, we still get to give people hope and motivation; even if it's just to give artists something else to focus and concentrate on. Then we get to celebrate their work."
She sees the event as an uplift for Whanganui people. "It's been so long since we've had something to look forward to. Let's give them a couple of weekends where they can plan to do things."
All visitors to studios must be in possession of a vaccine pass which is required to acquire a lanyard. Wearing the lanyard gives automatic entry to all studios. They can be obtained from i-Site, the Starting Point exhibition or the Marton Arts and Crafts Centre.
