Artweek Auckland saw thousands of people engage with the visual arts in over 100 venues across Auckland last month.
The eighth Artweek was perhaps its most dynamic yet, with late-night events in the central city and in K’Road, tours of public and private collections, walking tours of art galleries and street art, artists’ open studios, and more pop-ups than you could shake a stick at.
During Thursday’s Electric Night, several walking tours took people along New Zealand’s Gallery Mile (there are around 16 galleries situated between Putiki Street and Upper Queen Street) to show the breadth of visual arts in our area. At some, walkers were fortunate to hear direct from the artist, as at Whitespace where Penny Howard talked about her show’s kaupapa (principles and philosophy).
Though of course, the tour guides were well versed artists and art writers themselves, providing insights to exhibitions and introducing newbies to the neighbourhood’s vibrant art scene. It was thrilling to stroll between galleries with a K’Road soaked in carnival atmosphere
- performers, dancers and musicians creating merry mayhem for this late-night event.
Artweek extended past galleries into the creative roots of Auckland too. At St Kevin’s Arcade, first-year students from Whitecliffe proudly set up their work for public view. Browne School of Art invited everyone to celebrate their fifth birthday with food, wine, a band, and an exhibition by tutor Anton Chapman in their BSA Gallery. Akepiro Street Studios opened their doors to the public, with one-to-one interaction with all 13 artists in their workspaces. There were panel discussions on everything from Artist Royalties to Collecting Contemporary Art.
Arty goodness wasn’t confined to our neighbourhood. Across Auckland, over 1000 artists once again created a spectacular series of events, across a diverse range of disciplines, all free to the people. It showed how important the arts are to the health of a city, and how they should be supported by us all, all year round.
Artweek Auckland is already planning the ninth iteration:
12 - 20 October 2019 - put it in the diary! (STUDIO ART SUPPLIES)