This collection was an open call to all textile practitioners both in Aotearoa and Offshore.
Our planet is largely composed of water so, as humans, we are intimately connected to beaches on all kinds of levels. Globally beaches are places of restoration, chances for liaising with nature, sites for recreational enjoyment and the venue of many walks and fossicking journeys. For everyone who has ever been fortunate to have access to a beach or beaches there will be different types of memories created and stored. For those of us who have no personal experience of a beach there will be imaginings and dreams of such an encounter.
This exhibition asked creatives to bring into the gallery their record of an encounter with a beach, either real or imagined. Pause and think how they have been or imagine how they would be affected by having a beach as part of their reality.
A wide and eclectic range of textile works have been submitted and curated to fill the gallery with works that will speak to everyone. Ōpunakē is a vibrant coastal settlement with a very active art scene so many people enjoy a trip or a longer visit to our township at this time of year. A chance to be in the unspoilt natural world of Mounga Taranaki and the wonderful wild West Coast carved by The Tasman Ocean.
This post will be updated with the artists details closer to the time of the exhibition
This will be a cash and carry collection to accommodate the summer travellers that will be in Ōpūnake at the time of the exhibition.