Waikanae-based weekend art group opens Toi Mahara exhibition

Ruth Cooper (right) started the Saturday group which is now co-convened by Angela McArthur (pictured) and Anthea Kenney. Photo / Grace Odlum

When Ruth Cooper moved to Kāpiti she knew she wanted to join a weekend art group.

She was too busy to attend an art group during the week and previously found that a weekend art group in Karori worked well for her – so she was rather dismayed to find there wasn’t anything similar on the Coast.

Rather than letting that get her down, she decided to start up one in Waikanae and, after doing some advertising in the paper, she got a good number of other local artists joining her – coming from all over the district.

That was back in 2016 and today there are about 14 artists in the group, working in a wide variety of artistic mediums.

Cooper, who has been painting and exhibiting for about 13 years, said she chose Saturday to accommodate those people who worked during the week or had other commitments that got in the way of developing their artistic aspirations.

“The idea is to have a suitable weekly time and space to work alongside and connect with each other’s ideas and practice.

Ruth Cooper (right) with Kāpiti Coast district councillor Jocelyn Prvanov.

“We have the opportunity to learn new skills, perhaps contribute to exhibitions and hopefully feel encouraged to keep exploring our work practice.”

Now the Saturday group, which meets weekly at the Kāpiti Arts and Crafts Society’s rooms in Elizabeth St, Waikanae, has its own exhibition at Toi Mahara called The Saturday Artists – which features 41 artworks by 12 artists from the group.

“The invitation from Toi Mahara is a chance to have our combined artworks exhibited in our beautiful local gallery. It’s a great honour and much appreciated.

“Hopefully, it might inspire visiting undiscovered artists to explore their own creative potential and come and join us on Saturdays.”

The exhibition was opened by Kāpiti Coast district councillor Jocelyn Prvanov who said “some of the works are simply stunning”.

The Saturday Artists is the third exhibition to feature in the gallery’s community space, following an exhibition from the Shed Project.

The exhibition will be in the community space until June 3.