Four days on and I am still trying to getting over the NZ Art Show in Wellington. Situated by the waterfront TSB Bank Arena last weekend, the crowd of art lovers got to enjoy clear skies, still air, markets, coffee and ice cream by the water and of course a **** load of art! It was exciting to travel to Wellington to support a few artist in the show, Michael Kennedy, Dominique Baker and Jordan Barnes to name a few. Lisa Chandler, an artist featured before on mac+mae was also featured among the works. I had the lovely pleasure in meeting Clare Kim an artist represented by Sanderson Gallery (Auckland, Parnell) and Jinx (A.K.A: Jinx in the Sky) an amazingly skilled pop surrealist and jewellery creator during my visit.

The event proved to be cheaper to enter than most shows which I hear charge an arm or a leg for admission, but this show was simply $10.00 to get through the door. Upon entering you are stamped to allow all day access to the show, I didn’t think it was necessary but only moments later did I realise why you would want to. For anyone wanting to attend this event, you need to expect a lot of art, so much art that you need little timeouts throughout the exhibit. But don’t worry, they provide seating arrangements throughout the showroom and coffee for those needed breaks. The entire space and length of the arena were erected with sections of 2-3 meter high black walls. All artworks were hung salon style which allowed little gaps between all works. Standing in front of one wall would mean looking at 3 to 5 pieces at a time depending on size.

There were a variety of traditional works ranging from painting, drawing, photography to metal or glass sculptures and ceramics. Often with a common theme of landscapes, seascapes, nature and flowers, and the odd portrait here or there. But I personally found that a lot of the artwork lost its own character and true value being hung among other works. I would often be attracted to the larger and less traditional pieces that would stand out from all the painting, photography, etc. So as a warning for any artists interested in putting works in future shows, don’t expect to stand out unless you have your own wall space or have unconventional work. Purchasing your own wall and allowing space for your works to breathe may be the best thing to do for any shows like this. The art show is purely for selling art and wall decorations, but I will admit it is a great way to showcase yourself.

Rounded up, the NZ Art Show was worth the trip to Wellington. Heaps of good art, creative people, and a pleasant place to hang around during a lovely sunny day. This was the first ever NZ Art Show I have ever attended, even though things appear to work differently from galleries, the art show provided a neat location for people to find new art, freshen up on New Zealand’s artistic culture and meet artists at the show.