ARTS FOCUS: how to get the kids creative on school holidays

Have fun with beads at CAN these school holidays

ARTS FOCUS

NC210421lisafeyen.JPG

CAN general manager Lisa Feyen.

NC210421Harakeke.JPG

Harakeke weaving with Lee Olsen

NC210421beading.JPG

Beading fun at CAN

by Lisa Feyen

The school holidays are truly designed to keep us on our toes. If you're not looking, they can creep up on you from behind and turn life as you know it upside down. With this in mind, CAN has designed a new fun event called 'Around the World Art Play', which features a variety of creative activities that are available as 'drop-in' sessions with no need to book in advance. During the second week of the April school holidays, head to CAN and take part in some special creative activities that will take your imagination 'Around the World'.

For just $5 koha (suggested donation) you can take part in any or all of the activity tables that we will have waiting for you. Kids, bring your parent or caregiver and have fun creating your masterpieces together. Plunge into the piles of making materials and glue and create an imaginary building from another land, fold some fabulous origami critters with the paper provided or draw a scene on our city graffiti wall. The workshops have been made possible with the generous support of Napier City's Creative Communities Scheme.

CAN Art Play is open daily for just four days, 10am to 3.30pm, starting on Tuesday, April 27, and finishing on Friday, April 30. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

If you're looking for an activity this week, CAN is very pleased to be hosting the popular St. Beads workshops again, running daily from Monday, April 19, to Saturday, April 24. Workshops must be purchased through the St.Beads website: www.stbeads.co.nz. You'll receive a confirmation email, and all you'll need when you turn up is your order number. Tutor Sara will guide you individually to make a bracelet, anklet, bookmark, keychain, beaded angel or necklace that you will be proud to wear, or perhaps give to Mum as a Mother's Day gift.

CAN is all about affordable creative fun, and that includes adults too. Book now for Term 2 evening classes in 'intro to watercolour' and 'creative drawing' on Monday and Tuesday with the Pencil Room (www.thepencilroom.co.nz) or sewing, and linocut printmaking on Wednesday and Thursday that you can book through CAN (bookings@thecan.co.nz). Numbers are limited so book early to secure your place. For any enquiries, don't hesitate to call CAN 06 835 9448.

If a one-day weekend workshop is more your style, we have some more to tempt you. Coming up soon are harakeke weaving with Lee Olsen on Saturday, May 1, and textile mono-printing with Sue Weston on Saturday, May 29. Both of these workshops will teach you new skills that you can continue with at home, creating one-off treasures during the long winter evenings.

Currently on display until Thursday, April 29, in the Small Gallery is 'Other?' a new exhibition of ceramics by Julienne Dickey. Julienne is a local professional artist who likes to explore the humanity of human beings and issues of social justice (sometimes with humour), to find the beauty in the quirky, and the imperfect and overlooked. Pop in and be intrigued.

This winter, as usual, CAN will be hosting the mid-winter art and design market. We are looking for artists who create beautiful handmade art pieces right here in Aotearoa. The market will take place in the Main Gallery for two weeks in July, with reasonable rates and no need to man your stall. We are looking for anything from handcrafted wooden chopping boards to jewellery, ceramics, painting or prints, textile pieces or even garden art. Wall and table spaces are both available.

Contact Alex on bookings@thecan.co.nz to find out more.

And lastly, the 'Call for Artists' is well and truly out for the upcoming 2021 Hawke's Bay Art Review, the biennial selected exhibition and competition for all artists with links to Hawke's Bay which will take place in September at CAN. The deadline for entry is July 9, so check out the information available on the CAN website www.thecan.co.nz

■ Lisa Feyen is the general manager for Creative Arts Napier (CAN), 16 Byron St. CAN is open seven days a week from Monday to Saturday, 10am-4pm and Sunday, 10am-2pm. Free entry. Info: 835-9448, thecan.co.nz or Facebook.