This Labour Weekend will mark 25 years of art in the tiny rural community of Waikino, and local artist Kim Dye is among those preparing to show off their talents.
The 25th annual ARTWaikino Exhibition will feature works of art across a variety of mediums, on display at the Waikino Hall.
Artists across the region are encouraged to enter their works in the show, which features generous prizes in the competition portion.
The categories include painting, sculpture, craft, and photography, along with special awards for Young Star and People’s Choice.
This year, there is also a new competition category: “25”.
“That could be anything to do with 25 – one [artist] is doing 25 exposures of the same photograph,” committee member Vanessa McHardy says.
“It’s very, very open category.”
Nature-and-whimsy-based artist/sculptor Kim Dye, whose studio sits next door to Waikino Hall, is still kicking around ideas for her entries.
Last year she submitted a “big bird bath with a waka, with two kingfishers”, as well as an indoor painting.
“I’m not committing yet,” she laughs.
“I’m like that every year.”
Looking around her peaceful, heart-shaped lawn though, there is no shortage of possibilities.
Tucked among the shrubbery are numerous tiny fairy houses, sculpted birds, abstract sculptures, and water features.
A small gallery shed holds jewellery, wall art and figurines, and Kim is arranging some mermaids she’s just pulled out of the kiln.
“I’m very spiritual… crystals and mermaids and water and Mother Nature. That’s a big theme for me,” she says.
“I do like to incorporate different mediums, so concrete, metal, pottery, glass, or I focus on recycled stuff too, like corrugated iron pieces.”
Art helps her re-centre from her often emotionally taxing work as a palliative caregiver, Kim says.
“It can get tough, and I don’t know how people do heaps of hours of it,” she says.
“[Art] helps you work through it… I sort of incorporate my gardening and my love of water, which is where I’m going more, I think.”
Kim’s ARTWaikino entries will be for sale, along with all the other pieces entered into the exhibition.
Proceeds from the show go towards the upkeep of the hall.
Twenty-five years on from the beginning, Vanessa says, the committee is still committed to supporting and encouraging local artists.
“Last year we spent a lot of money fixing the hall up… now we really want the hall to be used as much as possible,” she says.
“And we’re wanting to encourage artists to do workshops there for the public, [and] wanting to remove barriers for local artists.”
DETAILS: ARTWaikino exhibition runs at Waikino Hall over Labour Weekend, October 24-27. Gold coin entry. Artist entries close October 11. See www.waikinohall.org/artwaikino for more.
