Whanganui High School Year 13 student Melanie Lei embosses copper in a jewellery workshop under the watchful eye of the Big Art Day Out mentor Frances Stachl.
Generations of rangatahi have grown up with the Sarjeant Gallery as the backdrop to childhood memories.
Bringing the next generation of senior students into Te Pātaka – where the building itself has been created as a storehouse of narratives and place of learning – is about ensuring art will continue to flourish in Whanganui as they grow into their creative careers.
The students who attended the Big Art Day Out reflected on their connection to the gallery and how this has been strengthened through their parents’ and grandparents’ relationship to this house of inspiration.
Sarjeant Gallery kaiako and multimedia artist Vanessa Edwards set the intention for the day in her welcoming words.
“It is a mysterious career pathway for an artist; there are many different paths you can take. We’ve brought together four established artists who are from Whanganui to demystify that journey for you and share about their world.”
Acclaimed artist and a mentor of the day, Natasha Keating, shared memories of growing up on Bell St and having the Sarjeant, the museum and the river as their playground.
She recalled being part of movements that were active in the region, like Nga Puna Waihanga, and finding her creative wavelength as a rangatahi. She acknowledged the legacy of Bill Milbank, as a champion for contemporary art and for introducing her to the works of Robyn Kahukiwa.
During Keating’s address to the students, she proposed a spontaneous walk upstairs to speak alongside her work. The students were able to see, in live action, the difference between experiencing a work off a slideshow and seeing it in situ (within the Kanapa Ki Runga, Kanapa Ki Raro show currently exhibiting).
Standing alongside her magnificent work, Papatūānuku, she spoke of how special it is to exhibit work in your hometown alongside people who have been mentors, teachers and peers over your lifetime.
Another of the day’s mentors, Frances Stachl, who is also the open award winner of the 2025 Pattillo Whanganui Arts Review, shared how process and inspiration is activated in her daily life as a full-time practising artist.
Sharing her process working in meticulous detail and building from scratch, Stachl highlighted the relationship of the different works, like a whānau, the way they all stand together, unique yet connected. Stachl spoke of the influence of her grandparents, how they shaped the way she thinks about the objects and jewellery she interacts with and creates.
“Grandpa mended everything and took great care of objects. My grandmother had a jewellery box and everything in it had a story and a connection. Both were sentimental in different ways.”
Her tip to future artists was to “document your work”. Stachl encouraged the students through sharing her pathway to becoming a jewellery maker: “When you find the thing you’re meant to be doing, it will often feel instant.”
Whanganui High School student Danielle Taylor-Moore said it was interesting hearing from artists who have made it their career.
“As an artist in high school, I’m still figuring out my style. Seeing these artists that have a narrative expressed in their work and a theme and connection across the pieces – it’s inspiring. That’s interesting for me who doesn’t have that yet.”
The theme of intergenerational influences continued with artist Catherine Macdonald sharing how her parents encouraged her into the arts.
Her grandfather had wanted to study art but his parents encouraged him to be a farmer. Macdonald’s parents saw a way to restore that creative impulse in the family and supported her to pursue her passion. She studied at the Quay School of Arts and has made a lifelong career as an artist.
Macdonald spoke about the importance of residencies as essential to providing “time away from normal work to just create”.
Master carver and Tā moko artist Tururangi Rowe offered an inspiring address, centring art as storytelling, taking the students on a journey from creation stories to the special qualities of the native birds and how they are expressed visually in his work.
“All our designs come from nature, observing what is happening in the taiao. Our ancestors would take note of everything that was happening in the environment.”
In his workshop with the students, he created an immersive experience by weaving together ancient creation stories with demonstrations of how to draw the symbols and designs that have come to physically represent them.
Whanganui Girls College Year 13 student Jayda McDonnell, who attended his workshop, spoke about art making as a way of expressing her identity and feeling a sense of belonging.
“I am a neurodivergent person and being able to use art as a medium to bring my ideas into the world makes it feel like more of a place for me.
“Things like this give me more of an insight as to what it would be like to take this into my life and the different ways that could work for me, and also the outlooks you don’t get when it comes to creating financial stability.”
Anique Jayasinghe, from Whanganui District Council, attended, seeing it as a great opportunity to connect with up-and-coming local artists and highlight the range of career opportunities in the arts.
Jayasinghe walked the students through the funding process for those who might have a creative idea they would like to bring to the community.
Overall, the day was an uplifting boost for the students and artists alike.
“Artists and creatives in our society are fundamental,” Edwards said.
“The health and wellbeing of a society is reflected in flourishing creative industries. We need to make sure there is space for creative people to develop, learn and innovate. It’s a brave and courageous path to take and it’s full of rewards.”