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| FRESH PERSPECTIVES: Among the people taking part in the Bucklands Beach Yacht Club’s public annual Art Exhibition and sale are David Szeto, left, and Gavin Chai. Times photo Wayne Martin. |
SOME of East Auckland’s top creative talent converges this week for the Bucklands Beach Yacht Club’s (BBYC) public annual Art Exhibitionand sale.
It publicly opens at 6.30pm tomorrow with a speech by former Kiwi Olympic Games boardsailing gold and bronze medallist and BBYC member Bruce Kendall.
Proceeds from the exhibition’s art sale will help fund the yacht club’s youth sailing programme.
The popular yearly event’s organising committee includes well-known East Auckland artists Graham Pettett, Merv Appleton and Raewyn Neale, all of whom will have works in the display.
“We’ve got more than 50 artists from around the North Island taking part in the show, but they’re mainly locals,” Mr Pettett told the Times.
Mr Appleton says the showcase, in its sixth year, has become one of East Auckland’s premier public art events.
“We’ve tried to keep the standard high,” he says.
“It features work by both established and emerging artists.
“The mediums on show cover a wide range, from abstract pieces to portraits, ceramics, pastel, watercolour, oil and realism.”
Injecting a dose of youthful enthusiasm into the display is talented Pakuranga College pupil and exhibiting artist Gavin Chai.
The 16-year-old’s growing list of creative achievements includes taking out the KG Fraser Art Award for best painting in show at the Coca-Cola Easter Show Art Awards last April.
Gavin, who’s in year 12, also earned first place in the contest’s open youth art category.
Several of his original works will display as part of the BBYC’s Art Exhibition, including a large oil paint self-portrait.
They will be on show alongside paintings by award-winning North Park watercolourist David Szeto, who moved to New Zealand from Hong Kong more than 20 years ago.
Mr Szeto is a former winner of the Howick Art Group’s annual midwinter art exhibition and competition.
The retired architect enjoys painting local scenes such as sailboats at Howick Beach and Half Moon Bay Marina.
“Painting is my hobby,” says Mr Szeto.
“I work with watercolours because they’re convenient to use and have no smell.
“They’re also very easy to carry around when I’m painting outdoors.
"I enjoy getting outside and being in the fresh air and sunshine.”
The Bucklands Beach Yacht Club’s public Art Exhibition and sale opens at 6.30pm tomorrow, November 4, at the club at Ara Tai, Half Moon Bay Marina.
It’s open daily from 9am-6pm from this Wednesday-Saturday and from 9am-4pm this Sunday.
Entry is by gold coin donation and most works are for sale.
