Exhibitions
Mark Braunias: Assemble, Disassemble, Reassemble
Biomorphic Drawings (2010-2024)
10 July – 1 September
Biomorphic adj : resembling or suggesting the forms of living organisms. Biomorphism: art that focuses on the power of natural life and uses organic shapes, with shapeless and vaguely spherical hints of the forms of biology with connections to Surrealism and Art Nouveau. wiki
These large drawings on paper cover a period of 15 years and are presented as an immersive installation. Single shapes converge with multiples, and negative and positive spaces interlock and overlay throughout the exhibition. Installed throughout the Gallery, the drawings appear to be moving in a processional manner. Replicating the notion of living forms in the act of evolving, dissolving and regenerating. Like a train of thought on the tracks of biological intersections with the suggestion of a potential dystopian future.
Biography
Mark Braunias graduated with a BFA from Canterbury University, Ilam School of Fine Arts, Christchurch in 1988. He was the inaugural winner of the Arts House Trust Art Award in 1992 and received a Fulbright NZ Scholar-Visual Arts scholarship to complete an artist residency at Headlands Center For The Arts in San Francisco during 2011. Braunias was awarded artist residencies at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery (2002), William Hodges Fellowship, Invercargill (2005), Tylee Cottage, Whanganui (2007) and the Dunedin School of Art (2019). In 2021, he won the national Parkin Drawing Award.
His work is held in public gallery and private collections including Te Papa Museum, Christchurch Art Gallery, Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Sarjeant Art Gallery, Tauranga Art Gallery, Invercargill Art Gallery and Museum, Ashburton Art Gallery, Auckland University, Canterbury University, Massey University, Lincoln University, Fletcher Trust Collection, Art House Trust Collection and the State Library of Queensland.
Mark Braunias is represented by: Anna Miles Gallery, Auckland, Jonathan Smart Gallery, Christchurch and Brett McDowell Gallery, Dunedin.
Photographs: Studio Process, 2024 and Gina Barreto
The Stars of Matariki by Morrinsville School. 28 June – 21 July. Community Gallery
“Mānawatia a Matariki (to celebrate the Māori New Year), Te Kura ō Morenawhira (Morrinsville School) have created pieces of artwork that reflect the starts of Matariki and their significance in Te Ao Māori.
Each class has chosen a star/kaitiaki that has its own whakapapa, meaning and representation. Each akomanga (class) then had a goal to portray their chosen star through mahi toi (the production of art). Some mahi toi have been created individually and some collaboratively as a whole class.
The stars/kaitiaki we have incorporated within our display are Matariki, Waitī, Waitā, Waipunārangi, Tupuānuku, Tupuārangi, Ururangi, Pōhutukawa, Hiwa-i-te-Rangi and Tangotango”
Nicole Healey, head of the art department at the Morrinsville School, explains “Our art is a Matariki focus where each class is representing one star from the Matariki cluster, and one class represents Tangotango the guardian of the stars. Every class has between 18-28 children who will all have art to be displayed. We have 10 classrooms providing art to the exhibition with an age range from 5 years old to 13 years old. there will be 220 children in total participating in the art exhibition. Some classrooms will have a piece of art from each child, and some have worked on a collaborative classroom piece”.
About the Morrinsville School
Te kura ō Morenawhira is a primary school in Morrisville made up of 220 children. Our kura has 10 wonderful classrooms with children from new entrant to year 8. We strive to uphold our values Hiranga (Resilience) , Kawanga (Responsibility), Whakaute (Respect) and Manaakitanga/Aroha (Kindness) in our everyday learning and teaching journey. Our kura is not only a school but a whānau and we nurture and care about each individual who comes through our gates. We are so excited to be displaying our Matariki Art in the Morrinsville Art Gallery again.
Sarah Lee: Monsters
19 July to11 August 2024
Whakaaturanga Gallery
Opening: Sunday, 21 July, 11AM - 1PM
Sarah Lee reflects on her inspiration: "In my early teens I bought tickets to a concert by Dunedin band The Chills. I didn’t really know the band then, I was just curious to see live music. At the risk of showing my age, the tickets came with a free cassingle that contained a song The Male Monster From the Id. Intrigued, I got the dictionary out to learn what the Id was.
noun
psychoanalysis
the part of the mind in which innate instinctive impulses and primary processes are manifest: Compare with ego and superego.
"the conflict between the drives of the id and the demands of the cultural superego"
That spontaneous decision to go to a concert planted a seed that still occupies a precious place in my mind. I not only developed a love for The Chills that has endured, I also retained a curiosity about the concept of the Id. Whenever I am asked to articulate what my artistic inspiration is I drift back to that moment in my childhood bedroom listening to a song that opened my mind to new ideas and deeper thoughts about the monsters that dwelt within"
Sarah's sculptural works are intricate and enigmatic pieces that each tell a tale of their own. They are, by her own admission, strange but friendly creatures that clamber out of unknown places in her mind.
Sarah works out of her studio in Te Aroha and has a Diploma of Art & Craft from Hungry Creek. This is her third exhibition with the Morrinsville Gallery.
Dianne Baker: Focus
Whakaturaanga Gallery
8 June - 14 July
Opening: Saturday, 8 June, 11AM - 1PM
“Throughout art history, we see so many paintings of important dignitaries whereas I enjoyed the artists who painted people going about their ordinary lives without formal posing. I enjoy the challenge of honouring, through paint on canvas, people in their own environment and using their individual skills and knowledge.” Dianne Baker.
“Focus”, an exhibition in Whakaaturanga Gallery at the Morrinsville Gallery, shows twenty-two paintings by artist Dianne Baker, celebrating people focussed on their particular activity. Covid lockdown was over so that we could return to our individual pursuits. Dianne observed the joy and relief of people as they were able to work and enjoy life as they knew it. The works are not formal portraits of individuals. Instead, she has focussed on their connection and focus to their particular activity. Each painting is celebrating all who are engaged and immersed in their own individual or group activity.
A mini-series depicts three paintings showcasing the café staff providing us with food and drinks using their skills and equipment for our delight. Another group of paintings depicts plumbers, electricians, builders, painters, and a plasterer with their own trade belts and tools, fully immersed in the job at hand. There is a nod to the farming world with a vet working, and a young person nursing a sick calf. Sport is featured, where it is a necessity to interact as a group, the focus is fully on the ball. Leisure, especially outside activities are essential for our wellbeing, as we were far more aware of following lockdown. A group of paintings explore the individual’s connection to our environment for pleasure.
Dianne is aware and enjoys the fact that each viewer will bring their own experiences and responses to these artworks. That is an important part of exhibiting. Although she has used individuals as models, she encourages a broader view by painting them in their environment that depicts the activity as important and the models as representatives of their trade or activity.
Image: Hammer and Chisel, Dianne Baker
Rack 17A, Rack 22A, Rack 26A
The Arts House Trust Collection Gallery
1 May - 7 July
Rack 17A, Rack 22A, Rack 26A presents artworks from The Arts House Trust Collection, taken directly from these racks in the storeroom at Auckland’s Pah Homestead. The three racks were chosen to highlight the breadth of the collection. Senior well-known artists are included, along with those who are (or were) mid-career or emerging.
The artworks in the collection are not stored in a particular order on the racks. They were placed as space allowed and their location is then recorded in the Trust’s database. The works in Rack 17A, Rack 22A, Rack 26A are displayed in a similarly jumbled manner. This sense of ‘disorder’ often forms part of our daily lived and online experience. We may encounter many things simultaneously like images appearing from all directions. It can be a jarring experience. But over-saturation can result from actions we make and be positive and personal. Our consumption of music is such an instance. In times past we made mix tapes, set our iPods on shuffle and now we have streaming services such as Spotify.
Renata Nemeth: connectiON
Community Gallery
8 - 25 June
Opening: Saturday, 8 June, 11AM - 1PM
“My exhibition ‘connectiON’ is a celebration of the bond that bind us to the philosophy of life and sustainable practices. Rooted in the heart of Waikato, this collection reflects my deep connection to the land, its community, and its rhythms, observing the delicate dance between humanity and nature.
In ‘connectiON’, I embrace the challenge of crafting contrast, tension, and harmony within each piece. My art beckons the observer to journey through its intricate layers, discovering new corners and angles with every step.
As an artist, my dream extends beyond the canvas; it's a vision of fostering awareness and inspiring action towards sustainability. Through this exhibition, I invite viewers to contemplate their own connections to the world around them and to embrace the beauty of life”.
Image: Onetangi Bay - Waiheke, Renata Nemeth
View Point Exhibition
Community Gallery
4 May – 2 June 2024
"View Point" features the work of five talented local artists - Susan Roome, Judy Flashman, Denise Boreham, Samantha Derewlany, and Chris Cockitt. Each artist brings a unique style to the exhibition, from vibrant landscapes to photorealism, ensuring there's something for everyone to enjoy.
Susan Roome’s Friday Painting group is not just a group of artists but a community of friends who share a passion for art. They have been painting together since September 2022, meeting every Friday at the Morrinsville Gallery Learning Centre for a painting session and good-natured banter.
Image: Morrinsville River Walk by Susan
Jenni Taris: Pottery Making For Forty Years
Whakaturaanga Gallery
5 May - 2 June
Opening: Sunday, 5 May 1.00PM - 3.00PM
Jenni Taris works every day in in her own studio, she has her own kilns and equipment, her work comes from my stories and experiences in her life. “I still experience the feeling of Christmas mornings when I open my kilns never know what’s it going to be like, I can plan it out as much as I can sometimes surprises and wonderful things happen”.
STILLS
Arts House Trust Collection Gallery
8 February - 28 April Photography from The Arts House Trust Collection Image: Beth Garey, Nectar/Pollen - Kale
Stills is a diverse photography exhibition from the large body of photographic works held by the Arts House Trust. The selected photographs, all by New Zealand artists, present a range of subject matter through time, with an emphasis on contemporary practice.
Several portraits of renown NZ artists feature in various media, rich black and white or luscious Cibachrome. Other works show the figure in roles of performance and various states of dress. This is a long-standing tradition in photography following key artists such as Cindy Sherman and Tracey Moffatt. Included are photographs presenting rituals specific to indigenous cultural practices.
Some recently acquired works on display highlight a sense of the present moment, concerns of our time. Several works are by tertiary and secondary school graduates. The three photographs by Beth Garey were produced in 2023 in completion of her Graduate Diploma in Visual Arts at the Dunedin School of Art, Otago Polytechnic.
Beth Garey writes: Pollen, pheromones, nectar, disease. Our relationships with other creatures in the world are generated through our senses; coming to know multispecies resonances, new terrain. In my work I have explored moments of encounter and relation with the honeybees I live with. An awareness of their needs, sensory worlds and speculations has rearranged me, making me better attuned to the living constellations I operate within.
Purely Pastel: PANZ
Whakaaturanga Gallery &
Community Gallery
23 March - 28 April
Opening night: Friday, 22 March, 5PM-7PM
PANZ is succeeding in its aim of raising the awareness of the art-buying public, artists, and galleries of pastel art. A Convention and National Exhibition is held in a different region each year. So far they have been held in Blenheim, Cambridge, Upper Hutt, Mapua, Christchurch, Stratford, Fielding, Dunedin, Tauranga and Auckland.
Image: Eastland Port, Zoe Alford-Pilot
LandEscape
Whakaaturanga Gallery
Opening night: Friday, 16 February 5PM - 7PM
16 February - 17 March
LandEscape explores the different ways that artists in Aotearoa express their relationship and connection to the land – this exhibition explores eight Artists approach to landscape and focuses on artistic identity and the various ways this can be presented.
Image: Tristan Zhang
The Jolly Girls
Community Gallery
Opening night: Friday, 16 February 5PM - 7PM
16 February - 17 March
The Jolly Girls is a Collaborative exhibition consisting of 6 Fibre and Fabric artists led by Anne Jolly.
Image: Anne Jolly
Hit 'em With their Laser Beams
Arts House Trust Collection Gallery
6 December – 6 February
Hit ‘em with their Laser Beams is a selection of painting and drawing from the Arts Trust Collection.
Image: Bill Hammond, The Young Designers 1989
SARATH/ FREDDIE SURENDRAN: APRICITY
Community Gallery Official Opening: Friday, 12 January 5PM-7PM
13 January - 11 February
"let us all find the peace amongst the chaos just like my paintings" - Sarath/ Freddie Surendran
Mr Black: Almost Human
Whakaaturanga Gallery
Official Opening: Friday, 12 January 5PM-7PM
13 January - 11 February
The Covid pandemic gave us thought to a world without humans, a place where humans once existed. Almost Human plays on this apocalyptic thought, imagining a place where there are tell tale signs that humans were there, but maybe no longer exist.
Helen and Brian's Christmas show
Community Gallery
21 November - 21 December
Free Entry
Helen and Brian Gibsons annual Christmas show
Morrinsville College Portfolios 2023
Whakaaturnga Gallery
5 December- 21 December
This exhibition showcases the works of Morrinsville College students, featuring piece's from Year 9 - Year 13
Image: year 10 student
DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER
IT MAY TAKE YOU ON ANOTHER JOURNEY
The Arts House Trust Collection Gallery
13 September - 2 December 2023
Curators Talk: Saturday 7 October 11AM
Curated by Laura Campbell and Justin Jade Morgan.
Bringing together a diverse selection of artworks from The Arts House Trust, New Zealand’s largest privately held art collection, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover; it may take you on another journey’ aims to lure the viewer beyond the cover of a book to reveal new pictorial narratives.
Artnexus6: Shapes and Scapes
Whakaaturagna Gallery
7 October - 5 November
Official Opening: Saturday, 7 October, 11.00AM
As members of Artnexus we have drawn on 20 years of support and encouragement within the co-operative to showcase works that vary in media, colour, subject and form. they have exhibited annually from 2001 to 2020 as part of the larger Artnexus co-operative, including at Morrinsville Gallery, ArtsPost Gallery (Hamilton), Sandz Gallery (Hamilton) and Estuary Arts Centre (Orewa). Some of us have also exhibited in small group or solo exhibitions.
Image: Joy Keates- Rose, Sunday
Morrinsville Intermediate
Community Gallery
7 October- 5 November 2023
Morrinsville Intermediate students presents 3 series of works in the Community Gallery.
Image: Eva Thompson- Tia
Creative Fibre Waikato Exhibition
Whakaaturanga Gallery
8 November- 3 December
Official opening: Wednesday, 8 November 10.30AM
This exhibition showcases skill & creativity across a diverse range of talents using predominantly natural fibres, both plant and animal.
Liquifying Light
The Arts House Trust Collection Gallery
14 June – 10 September 2023
Official opening: Sunday 25 June 11am
Curated by Daisy Nicholas
Liquifying Light explores the dynamic relationship between experimental contemporary photography and environmental physics. As an open-ended dialogue featuring contemporary New Zealand artists, this exhibition examines relationships between nature and the various ways of capturing movement and light.
Image: Daisy Nicholas
Dale Gilmore: Really?
Whakaaturanga Gallery
2 September - 1 October
Official opening: Saturday 2 September 11am
Dale Gilmore is a retired Secondary School art teacher. Starting out originally as a Signwriter but retrained in his thirties when signwriting was starting to enter the digital age.
Gilmore graduated from Wintec with a Media arts Degree and has enjoyed pushing paint around on a surface for a lot of his working life.
he generally works in series to explore ideas. Most of his work deals with the nature of reality, designed to challenge and provoke the viewer into questioning many of the assumptions we take for granted. As a teacher he wanted students to develop critical thinking skills. So too, he wants the viewer to engage with the work with a critical, questioning mindset.
Morrinsville School
Community Gallery
2 September - 1 October 2023
Works by Morrinsville School surrounding Kaitiaki O Papatūānuku
Image: Room 11
Vicki Carruthers: The Language of Landscape
Whakaaturanga Gallery
29 July – 27 August
OPENING 11AM 29 July
Abstract and semi-abstract expressions in paint and stone speak of the permanence and transience of landscapes and landforms from the sea and the land.
Jean Horn: Celebrating 100 years in the Waikato
Community Gallery
29 July – 27 August
OPENING 11AM 29 July
Celebrating a life of 100 years shaped by the Waikato.
A selection of artworks that reflect the artist’s perception of landscapes in the Waikato over a lifetime.
Community Matariki Exhibition!
Whakaaturanga Exhibition Gallery
25 June - 23 July 2023
OPENING Sunday 11AM 25 June
We have had a great response to our call for work for the 2023 Matariki exhibition!
Come and visit to see the incredible work from our community.
The Gallery Painting Group
The Entrance Gallery
The Gallery Painting Group was formed in late 2022. This untutored group consists of five local artists who have come together for support and a desire to advance their painting skills. They meet every Friday afternoon at the gallery for a lot of fun and comradeship. The group welcomes other members who are able to regularly attend and are of an intermediate or above level.
Currently the artists are: Judy Flashman, Samantha Derewlany, Rosemary MacKinven, Denise Boreham & Susan Roome
David Street School
Community Gallery
22 June - 23 July 2023
With a school vision asking students to be a community of courageous learners, David Street School presents work within the theme of CHANGE in the Community Gallery over four weeks.