New round of exhibitions at Creative Arts Napier

Bobbi Angelini prepares for her exhibition Out There Again.

Creative Arts Napier (CAN) has just experienced a wonderful two weeks of school holidays, with local and visiting kids creating beautiful artworks in workshops with the Pencil Room and Dali Susanto, and bead creations daily with in-house experts St Beads.

As they worked away, the CAN Winter Art and Design Market became the next port of call for the grown-ups, who enjoyed browsing the handcrafted bounty of treasure in the Main Gallery.

Thank you to all who came along, big and small, and enjoyed what we had to offer. If you missed it, catch the last few days of the market before it finishes on Thursday, July 23.

At CAN we are looking forward to the next round of excitement. We don't have long to wait, as this Friday, July 24, 5pm-7pm is the launch of Stronger at the Broken Places.

This exhibition and fundraising auction brings together well-known and emerging artists from around Hawke's Bay to encourage and celebrate the resilience of mothers on their parenting journey.

We have been thrilled to have well-known artists Peter Madden, Angus Walker and Patrick Tyman donate artwork for this fundraiser.

The exhibition promises to be an eclectic array of local talent, colour and inspiration. Don't miss the opportunity to find a stunning piece that you can take home and enjoy while supporting local Hawke's Bay families.

Two charities will be the beneficiaries of the proceeds from the opening night auction and the two week long art exhibition. They are the breastfeeding support café Pepi and Kai and the Hyde and Seek Fund which will be launched on opening night. Both charities contribute to meeting the needs of mothers emotionally and practically as they navigate the life changing events of pregnancy and motherhood.

For some mothers, the brokenness of unexpected outcomes and grief is painful and difficult but they emerge from their challenges, stronger at those broken places. Support this worthwhile cause by coming along, you never know what you might find.

Opening night and auction, Friday, July 24, 5pm-7pm. All welcome! Art auction at 6pm. Napier mayor Kirsten Wise will be in attendance to open the exhibition. Free admission, with light refreshments provided. There will be an exciting fundraising raffle too. Please bring cash for tickets, which will be drawn on opening night.

If you are looking for an art-fix on your next trip to Hastings, pop into Arts Inc on Russell St South and take a look at the annual Hawke's Bay Art Guide Exhibition. The Hawke's Bay Art Guide profiles artists and arts organisations participating in the Arts Trail initiative which showcases the best quality art works, art facilities and art services in the Hawke's Bay.

Each year the artists are invited to be part of a Hawke's Bay Art Guide Exhibition to give people a taste of their talents, all under one roof. This year the exhibition is being held at the Hastings Community Arts Centre, Hastings until Saturday, August , and they would love to see you.

The guide is the result of a partnership between the community arts organisations of Arts Inc. Heretaunga and Creative Arts Napier, who collaborate to produce the guide on an annual basis, alongside organising and promoting events, exhibitions and other initiatives to support and further develop the abundant local, creative and artistic talent in Hawke's Bay.

The guide can be picked up free from any Hawke's Bay I-Site, the airport and of course, CAN and Arts Inc. You can also visit the online version at www.hawkesbayartguide.co.nz and look out for the upcoming Hawke's Bay Art Trail too, an exciting event held on Labour weekend, October 24 and 25, as part of the Harcourt's Hawke's Bay Arts Festival.

Another new exhibit to visit from Friday, July 24 at CAN is artist Bobbi Angelini's Out There Again. Her first solo exhibition was called Out There, and as it was a great success Bobbi thought it was an apt name for her sequel. Also, the fact we are all out there again, after lockdown.

Bobbi doesn't call herself a 'greenie', but as an artist is keenly aware that we need to nurture nature. As Bobbi brought her paintings together, she noticed the predominance of greens and blues. She finds these colours quite calming. The beauty of nature we try to capture in our art, will remain if we love it back. Come and be inspired in the Small Gallery; Out There Again is on display from Friday, July 24 to Thursday, August 6.

Lastly, don't miss the opportunity to sign up for some creative fun at CAN evening classes. There are a few places left on the Linocut for Beginners class, so be quick to nab your spot.

If you are new to printmaking, lino is a great place to start. It's also a medium suitable for exploration if you're not a total beginner too, so if you want to get a little bit experimental sign up and join in the fun. You can refresh your skills and/or extend them and go at your own pace.

You will be guided through the process of relief printmaking over a series of four Thursday evening classes, that will cover everything from where to look for inspiration, how to prepare your blocks, to using the CAN etching press to print a limited edition and even printing on fabric. Give it a go, you may surprise yourself at what you can do. Contact bookings@thecan.co.nz today to sign up.

■ Lisa Feyen is interim 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.