It’s New Zealand National Poetry Day on Friday 24th August and on Sunday 26th it’s the August Affordable Art & Artisan Fair at the Black Sheep Whakamarama.  So we’ve got the NPD & the AAAF!  On Saturday 25th Jo Torr is giving an artist’s talk in support of her current exhibition at The People’s Gallery, the Historic Village, Tauranga – don’t miss this or the exhibition

NATIONAL POETRY DAY 24TH AUGUST 2018: BAY OF PLENTY

I’ve seen at least four open events on around the Western Bay sub-region to celebrate National Poetry Day. Just in case you think that National Poetry Day is limited to the Bay of Plenty I’m including links to the nation-wide event page for Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day 2018 and also a link to NZ Poetry Shelf:   you’d be surprised how many poets there are!

Well-known Tauranga slam poet Dhaivat Mehta has organised an open mic session of Incantation at the SOMA  Studio art and performance space 6 – 8pm on the 24th.  Check out the Incantation facebook page https://www.facebook.com/events/511371299285228/   

Tauranga slam poet and alternative spoken word poet Dhaivat Mehta (Details of Dhaivat’s latest project in collaboration with veteran rocker Kingsley Smith at the conclusion of this article)

Poetry Brick will also  be in Rotorua:   Poet David Merritt has constructed his poetry books by hand from using recycled Readers’ Digests to create poem books that are unmistakably, uniquely his own. A cluster of 23 individual poems, assembled into a brick, will be installed in Rotorua for the public to read, enjoy and share through schools, public libraries, universities and polytechs, cafes, galleries, markets, family homes. The Poetry Brick is available for overnight use at bookclubs / potlucks and BBQ’s, open mic’s etc. Includes travelling notes for multiple curators. The poet will also be on nationwide tour at the same time in the days over Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day and will address the poems as he finds them.
Entry details: Free, all welcome to share
Date/Time:Mostly 8am – 3pm 20-24^th August
Location: Rotorua start location TBA
Contact: David Merritt at culvert23@gmail.com
Further info: Rotorua https://www.facebook.com/events/1573555836086045/ | https://www.facebook.com/events/1926454157422091/

The Poetry Incubator also has a NPD event: you’ll find details on the ARTbop facebook page.

Kati Kati

Share a Poem
Grab a coffee and muffin and sit by the cosy fire. Read or listen to your favourite poem or read your own.
Entry Details: Free Open to all ages: A donation to Cancer Society would be appreciated.
Date/Times: Friday 24th August 11.30am – 1.00p.m.
Location: Lighthouse Cafe, 10 lockington Rd, Katikati – Opp Matahui Rd
Contact: Gaye Hemsley 0272748753 or 075771753
Further Info: https://www.facebook.com/chance2perform/ | http://christinaproductions.co.nz/events

A Poem and a Song – Closed event  Writer/entertainer Gaye Hemsley will visit two local rest homes in Katikati Western Bay of Plenty. Gaye will recite the words to some songs which are in fact, poems. Residents will sing along with the music.
Entry Details: Closed rest-home events.
Date: Friday 24th August
Contact: Gaye Hemsley 0272748753 or 075771753
Further Info: https://www.facebook.com/chance2perform/ | http://christinaproductions.co.nz/events

Having Fun with Poetry – Closed event
Local writer/dance teacher Gaye Hemsley will visit two primary schools in Katikati Western Bay of Plenty. The younger children will be encouraged to act out her ‘Dance a Poem’ books. She will read some of her favourite children’s poetry including poems she learned as a child. As well as reading to older children different genres of poetry will be explained and children will be asked to create and read their own poem.
Entry Details: Closed school event.
Date: Friday 24th August
Contact: Gaye Hemsley 0272748753 or 075771753
Further Info: : https://www.facebook.com/chance2perform/ | http://christinaproductions.co.nz/events

 

When: Friday 24 August 2018 6 – 7:30 pm     Where: Western Bay Museum, Main Street, Kati K ati

Bring with you: Poems Created in the workshop   Poems you wrote at home   A favourite poem by a New Zealand poet    We also welcome songwriters, buskers and bards!

www.taurangawriters.org.nz   

www.facebook.com/Taurangawriters 

AND:  

http://www.nzbookawards.nz/national-poetry-day/calendar-of-events/ 

https://nzpoetryshelf.com/page/15/

That’s Friday down so you’ll have time on Saturday 25th to visit the exhibition and artist’s talk by creative fibre artist JO TORR in the People’s Gallery, The Historic Village, Tauranga

Vahine – Wahine – 10 August to 28 August 2018

 

Jo Torr’s exhibition Vahine Wahine at the Peoples Gallery, Historic Village to 28th August 2018. The exhibition brings together two of Torr’s well known series of work to celebrate New Zealand women who won the right to vote in 1893. In 2018 Suffrage 125 celebrations provide opportunities to remember the Suffragettes and what they fought for, and to reflect on women’s rights in the 21st century.

In the exhibition Vahine Wahine Jo Torr reflects on the position of women through history with her unique conceptual sculpture. Each sculpture takes the form of a garment that incorporates an aspect of Polynesian/Māori or European cloth and an aesthetic sensibility associated with either culture.Her Transit of Venus works are beautiful and elaborate gowns that explore the exchanges between European and Polynesian peoples at the time of James Cook’s voyages in the South Pacific. The gowns are based on European dress styles of the 1770’s when Cook’s voyages took place, and point to the similarity in silhouette with Tahitian tapa gift-giving ceremonies.Kaitaka presents a spectacular couple in 1880s dress constructed from cream coloured woollen blankets that stand in for muka, the dressed flax fibre of traditional Maori cloaks. These works examine  the historical interrelation of Maori cloaks and European woollen blankets drawing attention to the way Maori adopted and adapted new materials into everyday life.

Jo Torr is an award-winning artist whose art is exhibited and collected by public museums, art galleries and private collections. Through her sculpture she explores mutual cultural exchange between Polynesian and European peoples. She has tertiary qualifications in fine art, graphic design, Māori visual arts, fashion design, museum studies and librarianship. She currently works as the Registrar at the Tauranga Art Gallery. #suffrage125

“Proud to be a part of the Suffrage 125 national event programme.”

and now SUNDAY 26TH of August: 

THE AFFORDABLE ART & ARTISAN FAIR AT THE BLACK SHEEP WHAKAMARAMA

 The Fairs are held within the Black Sheep Cafe & Restaurant complex on the last Sunday of every month (on the 16th in December 2018)  11am to 3pm.  There is heaps of parking, clean toilets and wonderful food and coffee.  There’s live music. There’s an event prize you can win.   If you would like to join us as an exhibitor/retailer of your original creativity or artisan products you can contact us at aaafair17@gmail.com

We are sign posted along SH2 with signage to the turnoff of SH2 and Plummer’s Point Road.  You won’t be able to miss us!   And check out Birgitt Shannon’s video of the July Fair: each month Birgitt, a talented Kati Kati artist interviews two or three of the Fair’s participants and exhibitors. (Details about Birgitt and her own website, YouTube channel and arts practice at the conclusion of this article)

Here’s  just a taste of what you’ll find. We’re indoors over winter months and outside in the Summer! 

Black Sheep owner and one of the team creating the yummy food, Peta Clavis

The AAAFAir exhibitors and the Black Sheep support a staff member

One of our delighted winners with Event Organiser Birgitt Shannon

In the outdoor covered entry way

Indoors in the Cafe

Checking the original art

Tasting the flavoured salts

Media!

Just talking: AAAFair Health & Safety trained Officer..and….

Birgitt Shannon:     Katikati based artist Birgitt Shannon is a regular contributor to ARTbop.  Birgitt is also the principal Event Organiser of the Affordable Art & Artisan Fair at the Black Sheep Whakamarama – a collaborative community not for profit venture by ARTbop and the Black Sheep. Birgitt creates a monthly YouTube interview series with the Fair participants:  Art by Birgitt YouTube.  On her channel you’ll find images of her work, interviews with local creatives and projects Birgitt has been invited to be involved with.  You can also see Birgitt’s work online and at the AAAFair on the last Sunday of every month.   Birgitt has her own website at    www.artbybirgitt.com

Birgitt Shannon in her summer site at the AAAFair, Black Sheep,Whakamarama!

Dhaivat Mehta and Kingsley Smith have collaborated to created a spoken word and music project which you will find title Tryptofunk.   Here are a couple of the series from their YouTube channel: Please note some language may offend.