An M&M It’s Not!

What can you say, Palmerston North gets more sophisticated every year especially with the placement of a new public sculpture. ‘United, Divided’ a kinetic sculpture by New Zealand sculptor Phil Price graces the forecourt of Palmy’s Convention Centre (Main Street near the Square) and moves rhythmically in the wind. Cleverly designed and fabricated the work has four moving parts which when the wind blows move smoothly and continuously. Funded jointly by the Palmerston North Public Sculpture Trust and the City Council, ‘United, Divided’ has proven a hit with the citizens of this burg. OK, so my panel beater says it looks like four fenders with a great candy apple blue finish. I don’t think he could have designed it or built it better and he would have included the name Ford in its title. Perhaps the Holden crowd could fund a mate to this one in red? Well placed at the top of George Street – the cultural centre of Palmerston North, Price’s work is the fourth public sculpture supported by the City and the PNPST.

New Art Master Appointed at FADAS

Get on board or get out of the way! A new breath of fresh air has swept into the Feilding Art Centre in the person of Beverly Waugh, newly appointed Art Centre Manager. Bev, a local Feilding singer, former ceramic artist and art teacher, who appreciates all kinds of art, is so full of enthusiasm it’s really infectious. With a visual arts background through uni and in her early working life as a potter and sculptor, Bev understands the need for quality exhibitions and resultant sales. As a singer she is a member of the Choral Society and The Camerata Singers and as a visual artist she does find the time to print small editions of greeting cards and the like.

Mrs. Waugh is excited about taking on the job of boosting the arts for the Feilding and Districts Art Society (FADAS). As a former president of that organisation who lobbied on behalf of Manawatu District Council support for the Centre, I am well aware of the potential for shortfall in funding and in numbers. But I am sure Bev will prevail if all of us who care about the arts in the Manawatu rally behind her. Come on give her a call 06 323 2323, Tues – Sun. Volunteer your time, your expertise and your ideas. It couldn’t hurt!

There Goes the Neighbourhood! Not!

We welcome Zimmerman Contemporary Art Gallery to Palmerston North and in particular to the George Street/Coleman Place Arts Precinct. Opened just a week ago, the Zimmerman Gallery is a small yet impressive space dedicated to showing contemporary art. Director/owner Bronwyn Zimmerman was a lawyer in her past life but has seen the light and now puts all her intuitive instincts to work in displaying a fine collection of art by talented New Zealand artists mostly from the Central Districts and Wellington regions. She is concentrating on showing original paintings and sculpture in this exciting venue just beyond the intersection of Palmy’s Main Street and the Square. We wish her every success. We know that the more quality art galleries and exhibition spaces there are the more likely the ‘mass’ will draw potential patrons from not only the Manawatu but beyond. Best Wishes and Good Luck to Brownwyn and her support team.

My Hat’s Off to ‘The Man in the Hat’!

Taylor Jensen Fine Arts expresses its congratulations to Peter McLeavey of the Peter McLeavey Gallery, Wellington for being recognised as the premier dealer gallery director in New Zealand. Peter, your influence on art marketing and on the development of New Zealand art on the world stage has been nothing short of legendary. Peter is being honoured by Massey University at its graduation ceremony in Wellington on May 27^th where he will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts. Peter began his gallery from a flat on the Terrace in 1966 and as the Manawatu Standard (16/4/10) reported recently he “has been credited with nurturing artists including Colin McCahon, Gordon Walters and Pat Hanley.” They also wrote: ”His influence on how New Zealanders think about art is said to be profound.” Couldn’t have said it better myself. Wear the honour well. McLeavey is the kaumatua of the dealer gallery profession and long may he continue.

The reference to the ‘Man in the Hat’ is that it is the title of Luit Beiringa’s short film on Peter McLeavey. If you haven’t seen it I highly recommend it as warm and honest tribute to this unique New Zealander. Check out the web for reviews and perhaps details on where it can be seen next.

Taylor-Jensen thrilled to be featured on Artfind

We were delighted to be asked to be the first gallery featured in a profile in ‘ILLUMINATE’ the newsletter of Artfind.co.nz, the online site for finding New Zealand art and artists. Membership allows artists to show their work and/or indicate where it is available. It’s a great way for artists to reach out to prospective buyers without the expense of a full web site. Taylor-Jensen is also featured on Artfind and when you visit the site you can view pics of a small selection of our current stock. Check regularly as images are posted monthly or more often when possible. These guys are doing New Zealand artists a great service and should be applauded for it. Thanks, Natasha and all the Artfind.co.nz crew!