September 15th

Nathan and Destine Hull will be exhibiting some of the newest pieces.

A woman dressed in black with tattoos on her leg and a necklace, smiling and standing indoors next to an art installation of a leafless tree made of twigs, with a glass window and greenery outside.
A man in a black leather jacket and boots stands next to a metal sculpture of a dog made from gears and mechanical parts, inside a room with wood-paneled walls and large windows showing greenery outside.

19th September

Rebecca Rose will be showcasing some of her new works in September.

“Swimmingly

A woman smiling inside a large, circular wire sculpture or structure.

In a previous exhibition “The Outfits” I had some of the figures wearing stylish bathing suits based on the ones that my grandmothers wore. I loved the cut and sculptural form and have long wanted to explore these vintage swimming togs further. My time in the studio creating these sculptures has been enriching. The combination of freedom and joy that swimming has given me is infused into these works.

These sculptures use Greywacke metal in the concrete mix and I like the synergy of them being sited in a former Greywacke quarry. Just as the Waitakaruru Arboretum has taken what was left by the quarry and transformed it, I have used the Greywacke gravel and morphed it into these sculptures.

The quarry altered the landscape leaving pits, and exposed cliff faces. Some of these have been used to create water features. I see these sculptures alongside the ponds contemplating taking a dip.

An artistic sculpture of a female face with closed eyes on an elongated neck, attached to a tall, vertical, irregularly shaped object, set in a workshop with tools, metal structures, and a window in the background.
A sculpture of a human face and torso embedded in a vertical wooden post, with a rustic barn background.

Some of the “swimmers” being created

Wood sculpture of a woman with long braided hair, carved from a single piece of wood, standing in a dark room.
A wooden pathway leading to a rustic wooden gate surrounded by lush green foliage and rocks.

Coming on the 14th November….

Translation - a celebration of Asian influence on the NZ Art Practice

The park’s summer exhibition will draw artists from throughout NZ who have been inspired by Asian cultural practices.  Curated by Gina Ferguson, the exhibition will take place in the centre of the park, at the Rock Garden and in the arboretum’s Asian section of trees.  The event celebrates the  fifth anniversary of planting an extension to the Asian forest (another 3000 trees in 2020).

The Translation event is intended to highlight how artists draw upon and acknowledge Asian cultural concepts for their artistic expression.  It will be the platform to engage participants in a variety of workshops that focus on methods and cultural knowledge originating in Asia.

Please take a look at the 'call for expressions of interest' and a fuller description of this project by clicking below:

Some examples of the works included in the 2024 Treasures in the Landscape exhibition

Collage of various outdoor sculptures including abstract forms, animal figures, and human-like figures in natural and park settings.

The following New Zealand artists have work included in the exhibition (in alphabetical order):

Andrea du Chatenier, Andrea Gardner, Andrew de Boer, Aaron Frater, Ben Robertson, Brett Graham, Brit Bunkley, Clovis Viscoe, Greer Twiss, Hannah Kidd, Johnny Turner, Katherine Batchelor, Louise Purvis, Nic Moon, Pat Foster, Paul Dibble, Rebecca Rose, Richard Wedekind, Sam Ireland, Scott Eady, Steve Woodward, Terry Stringer and Trish Clarke.