Scratch, Scribble and Sketch’, ‘Stick Friends’ and ‘Portrait Pillows’
We had the most wonderful school holiday workshops! Tamariki and their whanau came and enjoyed free creative programmes and what an outcome! We are heading into a full term of 3 day a week afterschool classes then we look forward to offering more free workshops next school break!
‘We Read Auckland’ 2025
Our exhibition for August is ‘We Read’, in conjunction with We Read Auckland month. The artwork is themed around text, we will have member artists, community artists and our youth will have an exciting surprise on display! This was a great hit last year, for the opening we held an ‘open mic’ poetry and book reading night which was greatly received by the community! We had people reading memoirs, poems, performances and writing they did many moons ago being dusted off and presented on the night. This year we cannot wait to see the line up! The exhibition dates are 12th – 29th August, ‘Speakeasy’ open mic opening night Friday 14th August 5-7pm all welcome!
Te Taiao
Our mural is now up!!! This has been a significant achievement for the Art Centre, after 3 years of working to get to this point. We are so happy to see it come to life! Thank you to Auckland Council for funding the mural, and the sincerest thanks to Mei Hill for gifting her design to the Community and centre building.
The title of the mural is Te Taiao, which refers to our ‘natural environment’. Mural design by Mei Hill, Ngati Whatua Tuturu, mural artist Ross Liew of over two decades experience and Sade and Aroha Hill-Hobbs from Kaipara College also offered two days as work experience in the creative industries.
We hope to add more of Mei’s designs to the building and surrounding area in the upcoming future, watch this space!
We are now taking entries for Arts in the Ville 2026! If you are an artist, artisan or maker market artist and wish to be involved this year, please visit Arts in the Ville website, or Art Centre website under events for a copy of the entry form. Submissions are due by the 15th August.
Arts in the Ville is a significant annual event, now in its 11th year, it runs over Labour Weekend 24th – 26th October. We are very fortunate to have Rodney Local Board fund this year’s event, the local board have been our number one funder now for over a year, and we are so grateful for their support. Activities we will be offering is artists talks, demos, open studios and makers markets, food trucks and creative play activities for kids! Last year we found offering a wider range of generational programmes really helped the whole whanau come out for the art trail weekend. Additionally, is the Treasure Hunt and Paper Boat race run by Jeff Thomson, the Art Centre will be holding Paper Boat workshops for kids prior to the event to help with participation! What’s new, community invite to ‘decorate your letterbox!’! This will help colour our town and we will have a prize for the best dressed letterbox!
Arts in the Ville 2025, David Black and Jörg Schulze
