The Queenstown Art Show
Making a list…. checking it twice……bunches of bubble wrap flying everywhere……. loading the vehicle with mathematical precision making use of the smallest space. It must be another art show!
Held in the Queenstown Events Centre, this was a great excuse to visit this spectacular part of the country! It’s easy to see why the area is so popular with tourists, stunning mountains and lakes and a great vibe.
Handy-with-a-drill hubby and art assistant Al came up too. We took the caravan and stayed a night in Cromwell by the lake on the way. The Driftaway, a camping ground in Frankton was fantastic, great facilities on the shores of Lake Wakatipu. The best place for an arty holiday!
The view from The Driftaway in Frankton.
Unpacking at the show
The unpacking and setup went really well. I got some white boards to attach to the panels which made my work stand out a lot better, they worked well giving a clean, sharp look. As a lot of my work is smaller, I had made some bigger wall-hung masks for a bit more impact. It took us about 2 hours to get it all sorted, then back to the van for a break before heading off to the opening night.
Setup almost complete. Really happy with the white boards attached.
The weekend was pretty tiring! My feet were certainly telling me they needed a rest at the end of it. Had a (as always) great bunch of artist neighbors and I enjoyed getting to know them. As I’ve done a few of these now, I’ve got to know a lot of the artists, and I love the feeling of community that the art show provides. I can’t speak highly enough about the organizers Art Shows across Aotearoa for their smooth running and well-organized events. There is a great family-feel to the shows and talking to the staff, most seem to be related to the organizers, so a bit of banter going on.
An overview of the show, I’m over the far end not visible from this angle.
Looking at the weather forecast before we left home, it looked like a colder weekend, but typical of our spring weather, it turned out quite warm. Note to self-the venues are always warm anyway so take light clothing, so I don’t melt! I had a light top, but boots were not a good choice, my other choice of footwear, a very worn, dirty and slightly smelly pair of gym shoes were not appropriate.
The visitors were great to talk to, enthusiastic and curious, many who stopped for a chat were artists themselves, which lead to some very interesting and lively conversations. I love finding out what drives people’s artmaking, and what they do, how they do it.
It’s a bit of a special feeling when someone spends ages studying things, and really engages with my work, asks lots of questions, or buys a piece.
I set up a table and made a few bits while I was there.
I set up a table and made a few bits while I was there, showing people how I made things. Had a few enthusiastic kids come along who made some things with me which was fun. I gave away a bit of clay to some so they could carry on their creating at home. Two delightful girls made a couple of critters then took them around to Trish at the Liquitex and Windsor and Newton stand to paint them. Well, they got the most out of the show!
Home now, tired but happy. I have a neglected garden that has been waiting patiently for me to pull all the overgrown chickweed out and plant some veges. My sprouting potatoes are trying to get out of the cupboard and go find some soil themselves, so best I give that some time!