REYBURN HOUSE ART GALLERY
Nestled down at the iconic Town Basin in Whangarei, this lovingly restored historic villa houses some real delights. Home to the thriving Northland Society of Arts, who were established back in 1989, they continue to host exhibition space for artists to hire, along with a boutique shop filed with unique pieces of local artworks.
Following the Hatea River, and just a quick walk through our Heritage Rose gardens, you will find the Reyburn Art Studio. This creative space houses the Firebirds Ceramic group and Fire Frenzy along with a main studio space for various groups to hire.
Entry to the Gallery is free but a donation is always appreciated. Run as a non-profit by mostly volunteers, your donation would help us to keep supporting Northland Artists.
MATARIKI ART EXHIBITION & NIGHT MARKET GRAND OPENING EVENT
– CALL FOR ENTRIES
Exhibition Dates – June 4th – June 30
A wonderful chance for Northland Artists to present their connection to Matariki in a month long show. A community exhibition open for all abilities and ages, with no limits on number of entries. This exhibition is supported by the WDC as part of their month of Matariki celebrations, who have subsidised the entry fee so it’s only $10 to enter a piece of your artwork. Send in your entry form early and make sure to drop your artwork to Reyburn Gallery, ready for our installation team, on either of these two dates:
Sunday 2nd June between 10am-2pm
Monday 3rd June, 9am-10am
Night Market/Opening night – June 7th 4:30pm onwards
The grand opening for this exhibition will happen on Friday 7th June, where all community are invited to celebrate at a community night(ish) market on Reyburn Grounds. We will have food, community and other interesting stalls dotted around the grounds on Friday evening, the Gallery will throw open it’s doors for all to view this community exhibition. If you have children then this event is perfect; the Art Studio is hosting a kids disco with light up dance floor and mini tuck shop. Entry for this costs $4.50 per child but adults can boogie for free.
After you have viewed the art, nibbled the great food and watched an awesome fire display, you will be able to find easily find your loved ones in the dark as long as they gotten their glow-in-the-dark face painting done!
If you would like to purchase a ticket for the kids disco you are welcome to pop into the Gallery or pay online.
Northland Society of Arts – ASB 12 3099 0426995 00
NOTE: Please send our office an email with your children’s names when payment is made so that we can add them to our VIP list ready for our disco door security team – office@reyburnhouse.co.nz
If you are still not too sure how to participate in this community event but would like to do something fun we have a superb colouring competition that you can do. Pick up your copy or download below and make sure it is back by the 2nd June to see if your work is picked to ‘go up in the Gallery’ for the Matariki Exhibition.
Entry forms are downloadable below:
1. MATARIKI – ARTIST Entry Form
2. MATARIKI – VENDOR Market Application
3. MATARIKI – Kids Colouring Competition
For those of you who would like to know more or do not know a great deal about Matariki:
The Matariki celebration is essentially based around 3 major principles,
1: Remembrance – Honouring those we have lost since the last rising of Matariki
2: Celebrating the present – Gathering together to give thanks for what we have
3: Looking to the future – Looking forward to the promise of a New Year
Remembrance: The re-appearance of Matariki in the morning sky during mid-winter coincided with a traditional ceremony called ‘whāngai i te hautapu.’ During this ceremony food was cooked and offered to the different stars of Matariki while karakia (incantations) were conducted. The first part of this ceremony was dedicated to the dead of the year, honouring those who had died since the last rising of Matariki. The names of the dead were called out during the ceremony and people would weep for their loved ones. One traditional belief states that Matariki carries the dead of the year across the night sky, and upon the return of Matariki in the winter sky, the star cluster is released from its burden. When the names of the deceased were called out, Māori believed the spirits of the dead became stars in the sky. This process also helped to release the emotional burdens and cultural responsibilities Māori had with the dead.
Celebrating the present: Following on from the formal ‘whāngai i te hautapu’ ceremony, Matariki was a period of celebration and festivities. Communities and whānau would gather together to give thanks for all the blessings of the past year, and to reconnect with each other. Mid-winter was a time of rest and relaxation for Māori. The food storage pits and houses were full, and the busy harvest season was over. Food and feasting was a central element in Matariki, and people came together to share the fruits of the harvest. Other forms of celebration included music, dance, art and spending time with one another.
Looking to the future: Matariki was a time where communities and whānau would come together to plan for the impending season. They discussed at length their hopes and desires, concerns and fears and they decided upon how they would approach various activities in the New Year. It was a time of learning, sharing, discussion and decision making. One of the key points of discussion during Matariki was the environment, especially the health of the environment. Māori understood that their lives depended on them maintaining a strong connection to the physical world and caring for nature.
Values
There are a number of key values that were associated with Matariki and the Māori New Year celebrations.
There values are;
Aroha – Love and respect for one another
Whakamaumaharatanga – Remembrance
Kotahitanga – Unity
Manaakitanga – Caring
Tohatoha – Sharing
Mana Taiao – Environmental awareness
Kaihaukai – Feasting
Wānanga – Discussion
Noho tahi – Coming together
Ngākau Atawhai – Kindness
Whakanui – Celebrations
Tuakiritanga – Identity
We can’t wait to see your entries!
Any questions or queries please contact office@reyburnhouse.co.nz
What’s on at the Gallery…
Exhibition runs May 7 – June 2nd 2024
Galleries 1 : AMBER LEE STAR- Faces non faces
Gallery 2 & 3: THE STROPPY TARTS – Nature/Nurture
Gallery 4: VICKI TREDIGDA- Art with Pastel
Gallery 5: YVONNE CLAPPERTON
New Exhibitions
Gallery 1: AMBER LEE STAR – Faces and Non Faces
Gallery 2 & 3: THE STROPPY TARTS – Nature/Nurture
Gallery 4: VICKI TREGIDGA – Art with Pastel
Gallery 5: YVONNE CLAPPERTON
AMBER LEE STAR
Faces and Non Faces
This is a graduation exhibition for a fine arts degree. The judges will come in unannounced sometime during the exhibition and grade my work. The works consists of 4 paintings and 6 sculptures.
Over the past few years I’ve taken a liking to painting faces and this exhibition is my graduation exhibition for a fine arts degree which involves the exploration of faces and sculptures of the human body. I have over the years developed my own style in ceramic sculpture. I enjoy depicting the female form without a head whereby making the femininity aspect more prominent. As soon as you put a head on a piece it personifies it which goes against my quest to illustrate femininity. I enjoy depicting my female forms as a flowing form with curves which is in tune with woman’s gentle feminine curves.
– Amber Lee Star
THE STROPPY TARTS
Nature / Nurture
Nature/Nurture.. an exhibition by the Stroppy Tarts.
This exhibition represents the separate, yet connected art styles of the four women who are Stroppy tarts.
Carol Peters, Maxine Hillier, Diane Lawson and Jenni Moore have painted together as a group of friends for a few decades. Many of the paintings represent our natural world, our landforms, our Northland jungles, beaches and waters and they also interweave the people and circular pattern of life. All four women have worked in caring professions and are deeply connected with their communities and families.
VICKI TREGIDGA
Art with Pastel
YVONNE CLAPPERTON
I am a late starter in the world of art. In my late 60’s my interest resurfaced and I dabbled in oils
predominately on my own, until I became a student of Elena Nikoleava. I have not had any formal art training. I work in a variety of styles, and Painting is my Happy Place.
I work in oils and acrylics and enjoy painting large works. I also work in other media, exploring
the vast styles of art possible.
My art is held in private collections in New Zealand and Australia. I have also exhibited in
Galleries,
– Yvonne Clapperton
Exhibitions run – May 7 – June 2
Take the virtual tour of our latest exhibition
Try a virtual tour from your own home. Works on mobile, tablet and through a browser on a PC or Mac.
Just choose a room and, using finger or mouse, move around a 360° room view. Zoom in and out, move left & right.
Happy viewing! Call in to see the real artworks when you can.
