The Art of Giving is coming to Devonport this month with our good friends at Bayleys Devonport holding a three day charity art exhibition from the 19th-21st March in their wonderful waterfront office on King Edward Parade. We spoke to Sue Stanaway from Bayleys to find out what inspires this event that will ultimately benefit Cure Kids.
CMAG: Why art, and what is the concept behind the Art of Giving?
Sue Stanaway: We are so fortunate to have our office in such a beautiful spot in King Edward Parade, so when looking to support Cure Kids and our local community, art seemed an obvious choice, especially as our office was previously an art gallery and lends itself to this event. We wanted to bring artists together to show their latest works and, at the same time, give them the opportunity to give something to Cure Kids. We have been overwhelmed by the wonderful response we have had and the amazing works that will be in the exhibition.
What type of artwork will be in the exhibition?
We have 20 artists, potters and sculptors who are submitting their work to be displayed for sale over the three days, from Wednesday through to Friday from 10am to 4pm daily. Pieces are from renowned and accomplished artists and emerging talents, and there will also be pre-loved or pre-acquired art. Every sale will help support the amazing work that Cure Kids does.
Who are some of your better known artists and what type of works will be displayed?
We have a wonderful selection of art from some very accomplished artists and so it is very hard to single anyone out, especially when there will be works for sale that have never been exhibited before. We will have pieces exhibited from New Zealand acclaimed Weston Frizzell; this is the collaborative entity of Otis Frizzell and Mike Weston. They have a special work that will be part of an auction, specifically designed for Cure Kids. This is a new piece in the Weston Frizzel collection and we’re sure it will be highly sought after. As a highlight we have Laken Whitcliffe presenting works and offering a custom-painted mural as part of our charity auction.
We will also have pieces by local artists, including Rob Tucker, who was a winner of North Harbour Club AIMES Art Award in 2012. The North Harbour Club is a wonderful organisation that I am passionate about and Bayleys has been supporting for three decades. Rob Tucker has gone on to make a strong career with his distinctive style of art. We will also have 10 pieces from Takapuna Grammar students, ensuring there will be some fantastic emerging talent on display.
What made Cure Kids your charity of choice to benefit from this event?
Bayleys, both locally and nationally, are very big on citizenship and giving back to the communities in which we live and work. Cure Kids is one of Bayleys' national charity partners who do big research for little lives. funding researchers to find out what causes the diseases and health conditions that affect Kiwi kids so that new ways to prevent, treat and cure diseases can be discovered.
We see you have a preloved section of the exhibition, so what will that be displaying, and how will you determine the value of pre-acquired art?
We have many clients, family and friends who, when shifting house, find they have art that is surplus to requirements. So we are suggesting and encouraging the donation of any art they no longer need to the exhibition. 100% of the proceeds will go to Cure Kids. This art will not be priced but will be sold over the three days, online in a silent auction to the highest bidders.
We invite anyone who has art they wish to contribute to contact us.
Have you found that support for the event has been strong?
Yes, we have found wonderful enthusiasm for this initiative from the artists, the sponsors and supporters. We are excited to have this as what we hope will be the first event of many. Our event partners NZME with One Roof and Vega Mortgages have been amazing, and Te Motu wines have put up a fantastic auction item. The team at Benefitz (publishers of Channel Mag) has got on board to support us with our promotion of the event.
We are looking forward to a great exhibition and encourage anyone interested in art to come down to Devonport and visit the exhibition, enjoy the art and support Cure Kids.
For more information email Sue.Stanaway@bayleys.co.nz or visit: bayleys.co.nz
