A Festival of Dibble

Palmerston North is celebrating the ‘Festival of Dibble’, albeit unofficially, marking the arrival of Paul Dibble to teach at what was then the College of Education (Teacher’s College) now a part of Massey University and the establishment of the Dibble Foundry in the city over twenty years ago. On show at Te Manawa, the Museum of Art, History and Science is a major retrospect entitled Sources: Paul & Fran Dibble [until 31 July 2011]; Zimmerman Contemporary Gallery is featuring painter Fran Dibble as the ‘Artist of the Month for June’ and showing 5 sculptures as well by Paul Dibble and here at Taylor-Jensen Fine Arts we are exhibiting 15 works by Paul and ten paintings by wife Fran Dibble. You might imagine a banner stretching over Broadway or at the top of Rangitikei Street proclaiming the ‘Festival of Dibble’ as we unwrap Who’s Afraid on Sunday 3 July (see previous blog) and celebrate this new addition to public art in Palmerston North. Perhaps a banner should have been organised by the City or Destination Manawatu or the Arts Council but for now you must use your imagination. The sheer number of Dibble’s on display in the city by both husband and wife certainly merits celebration and public notification.

A Large Scaled Dibble

Please join us for the ‘unwrapping’ of the Palmerston North Public Sculpture Trust’s latest artwork to grace Palmerston North. Paul Dibble’s Who’s Afraid will be formally unveiled by representatives of the Trust and the City of Palmerston North at 3PM on Sunday July 3^rd in front of the Regent Theatre on Broadway, Palmerston North. ‘Who’s Afraid’ is a 3.3 metre tall sculpture featuring a dancer ‘facing off’ with a tuatara, New Zealand’s only living dinosaur! The eight foot long lizard is affectionately called ‘George’ after a tuatara of that name that Dibble saw at the Tuatara exhibit at the Southland Museum, Invercargill. The dancer has yet to be named but I have asked our local arts journalist to instigate a competition to name the dancer. I thought Matilda was a good choice – you know….waltzing Matilda, etc…. A customer at my gallery suggested Isadora, for Isadora Duncan a dancer of international reputation. Let us know what name you would chose.