Artists standing together

A new Aratoi exhibition, called Kotahitanga – Coming together, arose out of the challenges of Covid 19 and embodies the kaupapa of its title: “unity, togetherness, solidarity, and collective action”.*

By Anne Taylor

About a week into lockdown, I saw an Instagram post along the lines of: “Just letting you know I’ve NOT written my novel, painted a masterpiece or started that blog yet.” There were probably those out there in social media-land that had done these things, but many of us were still staring out the window, trying to adjust to the changed state of the world and all of this newfound unscheduled time.

Aratoi director Susanna Shadbolt kept in touch with the local arts community throughout: “I can’t speak for all artists but certainly, at the start, there were some who thought they could be quite creative but then realised that a big part of life was missing – the social interaction and connection with other artists – and this meant they were not as productive as they thought they would be.”

Of course many were facing even bigger life challenges than just creative block. King Street Artworks was hard hit as many people who come to the studio live alone and attend the full five and half days per week that the venue is normally open.

“Whilst lockdown was difficult for all we knew that we needed to keep people engaged, this was key for us,” says manager Ian Chapman. “King Street moved online immediately, opening two chat rooms – one art-based, and one for support. We held daily video chats and posted demonstration videos. We also tried to contact as many people as possible who weren't online. We reopened at level 2 and limited access. People returned cautiously and now, back to normal, we all have a greater appreciation of the importance of actually being in the company of other people and not just interacting through a screen.” 

So it was a combination of these factors, including the perennial challenge of securing funding, that led Shadbolt to devise a major collaborative exhibition. Kotahitanga will run from 12 September to 15 November, and bring together works in all media by around 10 art groups from the region, breaking new ground for the gallery. 

King Street Artworks had been scheduled to be in the Wesley Wing this September, for what would have been its 24th annual exhibition, but Shadbolt decided to bring their show to the main gallery and invite other groups from throughout Wairarapa to exhibit with them. An enthusiastic response from local artists clinched the idea. 

Kotahitanga has no set theme, the selection process will be up to the participating groups themselves, and all work will be for sale (with a fundraising component for both Aratoi and the exhibiting artists). “Prior to this, our focus has often been on individual artists,” says Shadbolt. “But Kotahitanga is about everyone coming together, strengthening relationships, getting to know creative people in our community and connecting them.” 

Each group will have a dedicated space and information panel about themselves. “There are some artists in the region who meet informally without necessarily even thinking of themselves as a group, and they will be able to participate,” says Shadbolt. Having this platform might change the way they think of themselves and their work. The show will also alert the public to creative activities that have been going on ‘under the radar’ in their communities.

In Martinborough there is a group of 12 amateur painters who meet once a week for a joint painting session. The group was formed in 2012 and artists work in a variety of painting mediums. “The opportunity to exhibit at Aratoi has been enthusiastically received, as few of the group have exhibited their work previously,” says member Bill Dolan.

The three Wairarapa mayors will attend the opening, and the remainder of the year will also have a local focus, with exhibitions of new work from Crystal Chain Gang, Sam Duckor-Jones, Terri Te Tau, Andree de Latour, Angela Busby and Dennis Handyside. 

Kotahitanga’s opening night is 11 September 2020, and it is open to the public from 12 September until 15 November 2020.

·      Definition from maoridictionary.co.nz