How to Get Your Art Fix in Wellington This Month
Find yourself an arts adventure.
If you love art, there is an overwhelming array of ways to find it in Wellington. Our galleries, people and talent are some of the best in New Zealand. Whether you're into painted, illustrated works, film, multimedia or light pieces, read on for places to find, works to seek out and ways to start creating your own art in the capital. Of course we're not pretending to be connected with all of the many spheres of Wellington's art culture, but we hope this guide alerts you to something you've never considered before, and prompts you to open your eyes to our arts. And don't worry, we'll rotate this guide so you can acquaint yourself with new things.
CITY GALLERY: OCCULTURE
Wellington's City Gallery is a perfect, provocative way to spend a couple of hours. Its halls and spaces are currently home to a newly-opened exhibition, Occulture: The Dark Arts, which explores the relationship between contemporary art and the occult. Spells will be cast, thresholds crossed and astro charts consulted.
CUBA ART QUARTER
The area in and around Cuba Street is ripe with artistic adventure. Stretching around the intersection of Cuba and Ghuznee Street intersection, the Quarter is home to seven of the city's best galleries: Bartley + Company Art, Bowen Galleries, Hamish McKay Gallery, Robert Heald Gallery, Enjoy Public Art Gallery, Peter McLeavey Gallery and {Suite} Gallery.
They're all interesting in their own unique ways, reflective of the tastes of their dealers' and curators' eyes. Well worth a lunchtime stroll to tick off a few.
ADAM ART GALLERY: THE TOMORROW PEOPLE
Victoria University of Wellington's Adam Art Gallery is also well, well worth a visit. Their program currently features The Tomorrow People, an exhibition featuring the work of over 25 artists from an emerging generation. Their works articulate through various mediums their hopes, concerns and questions about the future. Taking its name from a 1970s children's science fiction TV show where normal kids suddenly develop special paranormal abilities but can only use these powers for good, not evil, art-making is a kind of special power in the exhibition. Kind of appropriate, being held at a learning institution for tomorrow's society. The gallery will soon also show Future Islands, an installation from the 2016 Venice Architecture Bienniale, which is well worth keeping an eye out for also.
THE QT MUSEUM WELLINGTON
If you want to live, breathe and sleep art, the QT Museum Wellington should be the place to lay your head. One of Wellington's most iconic hotels, the QT has recently undergone a refurbishment (it was previously called the Museum Art Hotel). The best part of the refurbishment is the way that original owner Chris Parkin's personal art collection is still in residence throughout the hotel. There really is no chic-er place to rest after a long day of traversing Wellington's arts culture.
LIFE DRAWING AT THE CROSS
On the third Monday of every month, The Southern Cross hosts a life drawing class. Where art classes and courses are otherwise sometimes time or cost-prohibitive, this $10-15 one-off class lets you try to create your own art. It also gives you a good excuse to go shopping at Gordon Harris for supplies. The two-hour session is hosted by the brilliant Dan Wilkinson, a tutor at The Learning Connexion.
GET INSPIRED IN THE ART BOOKS SECTION
Wellington is lucky enough to have three amazing second hand book shops within walking distance from each other, along Cuba and Manners. Arty Bees, Ferret Bookshop and Pegasus Books are all still independently running in a digital age of limited attention spans and the number of bookshops able to keep running is plummeting. Support local by browsing their individually amazing art book sections, and get inspired by artists of the past. Who knows? You may get motivated to start creating your own pieces.
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