Artists Open Studios is set to have a record-breaking year of visitors, with Whanganui artists throwing open the doors of their studios over two weekends.
Open Studios event co-ordinator Charlie Meyerhoff said there was a steady stream of people travelling through Whanganui, with studios having up to 300 people visitingthroughout Saturday, the first day of the event.
“On average, most visitors said they were viewing up to eight studios per day.”
Meyerhoff said there had been lots of art enthusiasts coming from out of town to visit studios.
“Saturday mornings tend to be a bit slow from a buyer point of view, but come the afternoon and Sunday, a lot of the sales start coming in.”
At Bedford Studios, visitors can take in Jack Marsden Mayer’s enormous piles of driftwood, which he collects by quad-bike or truck from beaches between Whanganui and Paekākāriki and makes into sculptures for commission.
“I get fresh stuff every time I start a sculpture, but it’s good to have a stockpile as well.”
Marsden Mayer has a huia bird driftwood sculpture on display that took three weeks to create for a commission that fell through.
“Come on down - it’s a great studio with plenty to look at and, if you come on a Sunday, you can have a cocktail.”
Jack Marsden Mayer with his collection of driftwood. Photo / Eva de Jong
Thomas Carroll, who has been carving Māori wood instruments made from local timbers for 10 years, is exhibiting for his second time at Bedford Studios.
“It’s not a commonly practised art form, so it’s a pretty interesting point of difference especially - even with just general whakairo [carving], there’s a lot more of that than instrument-making.”
Carroll said he was enjoying the event, although it was an abrupt transition for artists to go from working in the studio to letting visitors enter their space and view their work.
“You spend 12 weeks being introverted in your workshop carving away, doing ridiculous hours, and then within the timeframe that you finish and you’ve set up, all of a sudden you’ve got to come out of a quiet space into conversation, representing your work and selling your work.”
One of Thomas Carroll's instruments. Photo / Eva de Jong
Fiona McGowan’s studio in St George’s Gate has clay pottery on display and for sale that is often inspired by nature and her work at Bushy Park Sanctuary.
“It’s going really well. There’s been a steady flow of people, and I think people have chosen where they want to go rather than just ticking off a list, which is really nice.”
McGowan also has a unique collection of bonsai trees on display, many of which are over 40 years old.
“It is quite a bit of maintenance, but it’s calming to go and trim them and look after them. You’ve got to work with nature as well, and you can’t force something to do exactly what you want.”
Fiona McGowan has bonsai trees on display at her studio. Photo / Eva de Jong
Craig Winton’s studio in Ridgway St displays distinctive jewellery created from metal and stone that is hand-cut in his workshop.
“My range of kina jewellery is pretty popular these days. It’s inspired by my love of kina, which I get from the Wairarapa - they’re exquisite,” Winton said.
Jewellery designer Craig Winton's work on display as part of the Whanganui Artists Open Studios 2023. Photo / Eva de Jong
Meyerhoff said it was a good idea for visitors wanting to look around the Open Studios to categorise the studios by region.
“I would do Castlecliff and Gonville in one day, and then the central city completely as a day by itself, and then Aramoho and Marton on another day,” she said.
