Linger a little on Gloucester St

Heina Petzold and Eva Busch have opened Awa Art Hub in Whanganui after running a gallery at Oneroa Village on Waiheke Island for 12 years.

Waiheke Island ex-pats Heina Petzold and Eva Busch have opened a new studio in the city.

The glass enamel artist and sculptor have established Awa Art Hub on a city property which the found eight months ago after moving to the city about a year before.

"...We finally found the perfect property to transform from a blank canvas into an exciting art space with a Mediterranean flair."

The Gloucester St studio is both a studio and gallery.

Heina has worked in glass enamel for more than 40 years, kiln firing and fusing "vibrant glass enamel powders onto metal".

He has converted a garage on the property into a "funky little gallery."

Eva has been a sculptor for 30 years and has a fine arts degree.

Her pieces are exhibited in a large open air Spanish style courtyard at the front of the house.

They are described as "exquisite, sensuous and tactile cream-white stone sculptures."

The couple lived on Waiheke for 12 years before moving to Whanganui "to settle for good to be closer to family and to link into Whanganui's thriving and ever expanding art scene."

They say the Awa Art Hub is a place for visitors to "linger, relax, touch the works" and be amazed or inspired.

As part of the experience Heina and Eva are happy to talk to visitors and "explain the processes and inspiration ."

Awa Art Hub is at 1 Gloucester St. It is open from 10 am to 5pm but closed on Saturday and Monday.

It will be open Saturday and Sunday for the weekends March 25 and 26 and April 1 and 2. It's No 53 on the Open Studios trail.