By Paul Brooks and Pat Townsend
It's on again: the annual Art in the Garden with Whanganui Potters and extra art by River City Artists.
It is a festive weekend supporting and selling the work of local potters and artists.
Whanganui Potters Studio will have their fundraising raku firings where you can glaze a piece of bisque fired pottery. Club members will demonstrate pottery techniques such as wheel throwing and slab building. There will be a bouncy castle, sausage sizzle and refreshments. Admission is free. No dogs allowed.
Art in the Garden had its initiation 12 years ago after a group of potters visited Otaki Potters Art Show and local potter Lou Lilly said, "We can do this."
The first Whanganui Art in the Garden was in 2011, in Lesley and Vince Keat's large garden, with a backdrop vista of rolling countryside. It was held there for the next seven years.
Initially, there was a sub-committee of six potters who organised the event and encouraged other members to help.
In 2018 and 2019, Art in the Garden was moved to Frances Taylor's property at Papaiti: A lovely manicured garden which rambled through native bush to her nursery by the Whanganui River.
In 2020, the event was relocated to Kath Barrett's property of beautiful trees. This will be the third occasion Art in the Garden has been held there, at 38 Paul's Road, Whanganui.
The idea was to invite other crafts people to participate and this has proved to be very successful. Garden furniture, steel art, plants and any craft that can tolerate differing weather conditions was welcome.
The event has evolved, with a bouncy castle, sausage sizzle, morning and afternoon teas, pottery and other craft demonstrations. Raku has always been a popular attraction.
Participants are invited to bring their pieces on the Friday before the event, to the venue, set them up and leave them. Each piece is labelled (weather proofed), with number, ID, and price.
Last year and again this year River City Artists participated and their paintings are displayed in the barn out of the weather. It's just called Art in the Barn.
Some of the potters, like John Singleton (Singo) produce two-dimensional art as well, so they will have art displayed in the barn as well as in the garden.
"We have a guy who makes garden furniture out of driftwood and old branches that still have the lichen on them," says John. He says the furniture looks rustic the moment it's installed in the garden.
