Tauranga City Art - by Pete Morris (2011)

Firstly let me congratulate Penny and her team of dedicated staff at Tauranga Art Gallery for the great exhibitions they have on at the moment. 

On Saturday I went to see the new Graham Percy exhibition and was totally swept away by the artwork, his intellect and humour.

Anyone who enjoys history and art history in particular will love this exhibition.

This extensive show of his captivating work occupies most of the top floor of the gallery.

In the Cube space, also upstairs at the gallery, you’ll find the amazing sculptural works of Glen Hayward. Hayward is a master of illusion so don’t be fooled by your first glimpse of his work.

If I say too much more about this exhibition I will spoil the surprise just waiting there for you to discover. Please put both of these exhibitions on your ‘Not To Be Missed’ list.

Owen Dippie’s gallery opening on Saturday night was a huge success and a just reward for all the attention to detail and hard work that he, his family and friends have done over many long months.  

I know it’s hard to assess numbers, but I’m guessing that in recent times few openings would have eclipsed the large turnout. 

Owen’s work was stunning as was the work of other artists in this group exhibition. The wide appeal of these young artists was apparent at the event.

To find out more about Owen and his new gallery check my artblog archive by typing Pete Morris into the SunLive searchbox.

Owen Dippie considers his work.

Recently I had the pleasure of seeing the Ana Mendina exhibition at Armazem Restaurant in Mount Maunganui.

Her work, also the subject of a recent SunLive artblog, has matured and people who have enjoyed her figurative paintings are likely to be impressed with the large abstract paintings she is making at the present time.

A number of these were included in the Armazem exhibition. The work was displayed imaginatively and really added to the Brazilian feel of the restaurant. I look forward to seeing more of Ana's work in the future.

A large Ana Mednina abstract from the Armazem exhibtion.

Art displays at Wharf Street’s Sunrise Cafe are beginning to take shape.

I understand that a good number of artists have booked spots on the Sunrise calendar so let’s hope that the artwork on show will be exciting and bold and that the space will be filled with colour.

The Sunrise could be a great venue for artists exhibiting for the first time and the opportunity for artists to include large, easy to read artist statements to introduce themselves could be a part of what Sunrise art is about.

Check the blackboard in the window for exhibition details.

There is also some artwork by our top local artists at the new TECT Arena at Baypark.

You’ll see works by Simone Anderson, Graham Crow, Doreen McNeill, Lois Isaacs, Timo Rannali and others that will engage and impress visitors to this wonderful facility.

The works are now part of the Civic Art Collection. The open day on September 3 was very well attended.

Tauranga is a growing city and it’s great to see the visual arts becoming an integral part of our city’s well-being and development.

People moving to Tauranga with an interest in culture and the arts will be heartened by what has been achieved to date and we look forward to an interesting future filled with creativity.

by Pete Morris (2011).

Pete Morris is an occasional painter and an art lover. He is a free-lance writer with a particular interest in promoting the visual arts in Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty.