A Slice of Humanity, the themed exhibition currently showing at The People’s Gallery in the Historic Village, is both a collection of art works and a fund-raising venture for Kai Aroha the people-feeding organisation founded by Tania Lewis-Rickard and her extended family.

Kai Aroha is one of several organisations derived from and focused on filling unmet needs in Tauranga. They have received territorial authority support but it has essentially been the persistence of the organisers and the on-going ad hoc voluntary contributions and support which have kept the programme for the homeless, the street people and the working poor operational.

Here’s some Kai Aroha contacts and information https://www.facebook.com/kaiarohatauranga

/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503343&objectid=12040050

and the facebook page for Under the Stars https://www.facebook.com/Under-The-Stars-Homeless-in-Tauranga-1580931085473186/

And read about Awhina House https://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503343&objectid=12220229

This article is basically a collection of images of the opening and an exhibition walk-through. Each work was created on or used as a base a pizza box in some way. I delayed publishing this article because I wanted to include the images of Parewhati Taikato and Kelvin Clout supporters of the project who were both candidates in last Saturday’s Tauranga City Council elections. I’ve seen “the Clouts” at numerous arts and creative events and projects over my time living in Tauranga and I’ve had the opportunity of working with Parewhati in her art-related roles.

The blessing

Kelvin Clout – Tauranga City Council Deputy Mayor and Contributing Artist

Recent Candidate for the Tauranga City Council and a contributing artist: Parewhati Taikato

Kathryn Clout and Tania Lewis-Rickard

Simone Anderson Director of The Incubator Creative Hub

L-R Artists Arohanoa Matthews, Parewhati Taikato and Tania Lewis-Rickard

The kai

The work of artist Michelle Rose Estall

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Rosemary Balu. Rosemary Balu is the founding and current Managing Editor of ARTbop. Rosemary has arts and law degrees from the University of Auckland. She has been a working lawyer and has participated in a wide variety of community activities where information gathering, submission writing, community advocacy and education have been involved. Interested in all forms of the arts since childhood Rosemary is focused on further developing and expanding multi-media ARTbop as the magazine for all the creative arts in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand.