Whanganui Artists Open Studios: Returning artists and new studios ready to open their doors

Glass artist Carmen Simmonds will open her Brunswick studio for the first time in four years. Photo / Bevan Conley

Whanganui Artists Open Studios begins this weekend and a number of artists will be opening their studios for the first time while some are back after taking a break for a few years.

Woodwork artist Adie Higginson moved to Whanganui from Paekakariki in 2019 and set up his workshop in Plymouth St where he makes unique one-off furniture pieces that combine contemporary and traditional elements.

Born in Wales, Higginson first learned cabinet making in Scotland, where a series of three master craftsmen took him from handcrafted modern to recreations of classic Georgian furniture.

He took a break to study music before returning to woodcraft and learning how to restore bowed string instruments at a violin shop in Bristol, England.

He emigrated to New Zealand with his family in 2004.

Woodwork artist Adie Higginson looks forward to holding his first open studio in Whanganui this year. Photo / Bevan Conley

Higginson has continued making commissioned furniture pieces and instrument restoration work although in recent years he has found satisfaction in making his own furniture designs. A table he completed this year is a finalist in the Pattillo Whanganui Arts Review and is currently at the Sarjeant Gallery.

"I have discovered the joy of selecting my own timber and making pieces that people will want to buy rather than being constrained by the specifications of commissions.

"Using different timbers and combining the modern with the traditional is very satisfying."

Higginson said Artists Open Studios would be a good opportunity to meet more local people as well as out of town visitors looking for unique furniture.

Glass artist Carmen Simmonds will open her Brunswick studio for the first time in four years. Photo / Bevan Conley

Glass artist Carmen Simmonds will open her Brunswick studio for the first time in four years.

"I took a break for three years and was ready to welcome visitors last year but of course we went into lockdown," she said.

"I had completed a lot of pieces in readiness but fortunately I was able to sell a lot of them online. That was the upside I think - people were at home and had time to browse my website."

Simmonds' distinctive artworks translate the delicacy of needle-crafted fibres into glass sculptural objects that are uniquely her own.

"I also like working with bronze and I have just hosted a three-day workshop series where the participants got to try both mediums.

"Bronze artist Ross Wilson from Marton came and helped out with those."

Simmonds' recent works include "peep dolls" which have bronze heads and confectionery coloured glass dresses with small voids that allow the viewer to peep inside to see small cast bronze limbs and torsos.

Simmonds graduated from the Whanganui Community Polytechnic (now UCOL) with a bachelor of fine arts in 2002 and completed a master of art and design at AUT in 2013. She recently concluded her term as president of the New Zealand Society of Artists in Glass.

Five Whanganui fibre artists have combined their talents for the Woven Together -Te Awa Whiri Toi open studio. Photo / supplied

Woven Together -Te Awa Whiri Toi is a collective of five artists joining open studios for the first time this year.

Cathy Randall, Janelle Andrews, Juanita Davis, Margot Bennetts and Parekohatu Davis met through the raranga (flax weaving) diploma course run by Te Wananga O Aotearoa.

Under the tutelage of Trina Taurua, they have all developed their own interpretations of the craft to produce unique traditional and contemporary artworks.

"We are excited to share our love of weaving with a combined open studio," Bennetts said.

Artists Open Studios Whanganui Trust (AOSWT) appointed new coordinator Ness Radich last year and she is looking forward to overseeing her first AOS which runs over two weekends from March 20 to 28.

"I'm loving the work and visiting the studios which are like artworks in themselves," she said.

"There is such a fantastic mix of different artists and they are well prepared so I'm just focusing on providing the right framing and support for it all."

Along with the studios, there will be the starting point exhibition featuring a selection of works by participating artists at the Whanganui Community Arts Centre, Sound Canvas at the Royal Wanganui Opera House, a variety of art workshops, a behind the scenes tour at the Sarjeant Gallery, author readings at the library and Artists Palate - a progressive dining experience.

Studio guides can be viewed and downloaded from the website openstudios.co.nz and printed copies will be available for purchase.