First arts trail weekend a success

Lots of locals and visitors to the district got out and about at the weekend to take in the Kāpiti Arts Trail.

“I had a really wide range of people from Wellington and other parts of the country popping in, as well as lots of locals. The atmosphere was very positive,” says Paraparaumu Beach artist, Jenny Shearer, who has now participated in four arts trails. Jenny is one of 62 studio artists taking part in the event along with 19 artists in four hubs and 13 galleries.

Newly-elected Mayor K Gurunathan and his wife were driven around in a Bentley, loaned from Southwards, to visit a number of artists and galleries from Ōtaki to Paekākāriki.

“I really enjoyed the explosion of creativity everywhere,” the Mayor says. “We were given a window into the private, creative spaces of the artists. For the community to see these spaces is a real privilege. There’s no way you can cover it all in one weekend, so I’ll be out visiting other artists this weekend.”

The second arts trail weekend takes place this Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 5pm both days. The two-weekend format was introduced last year to give people more time to get around the sites and talk to artists about their art.

For the Kāpiti Arts Guide, artist listings and maps, go here. Or pick up a guide from libraries, galleries, council service centres and the Paraparaumu i-SITE.