In what seems to be a growing trend, people from all walks of life are trading in the big city hustle and bustle for the regions.
Staff at Sarjeant on the Quay often meet new arrivals to town as they venture into the Gallery to explore the wonderful arts scene our city has on offer. A long and rich art history coupled with affordable houses attracts artists from all around the country. Many decide to make the city their permanent home, such as recent arrival Lauren Lysaght.
Lauren is a boundary-pushing artist with an esteemed longstanding career who has exhibited and is collected by major galleries around New Zealand and internationally since the 1980s. Two years ago Lauren and her partner decided to make the move to Whanganui, now inhabiting a classic 1920s bungalow with their two dogs.
As one of many well-known practicing artists in Whanganui (although Lauren tells me with a glint in her eye she'd rather be known as a "fully qualified" artist) she has made an impact on both the arts and wider Whanganui communities. A recent success was the popular exhibition The Jar Room; a project involving many different community groups and hundreds of glass jars exhibited at Sarjeant on the Quay last year.
Ms Lysaght has led community-focused art projects throughout her career alongside her own studio work, and says this began "mainly because of my own set of values with my work, I wanted art to go outside of a gallery, so this is one way to achieve that."