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Last modified: 16 Nov 2020 9:45am

William Sutton Plantation Series XVII reproduced courtesy of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna O Waiwhetu

Feathered friends, bugs, fashion and a public peek at a huge collection of Kiwi art are all aiming to inspire and challenge people in the second annual Selwyn Arts Festival.

Following a successful festival last year, the Council has once again partnered with three Selwyn art galleries, Te Huanui in Darfield, Lakeland Gallery in Leeston and Down by the Liffey Gallery in Lincoln to put on the festival celebrating art in Selwyn.

The year’s festival will feature 13 tours, events and workshops across Selwyn from 14–22 November.

The week aims to stimulate people’s understanding of the arts, with the hands-on sessions covering everything from chalk painting to block printing and enamelling.

It will also include three public tours of Lincoln University’s collection of over 280 pieces by Kiwi artists, run by the collections curator Fiona Simpson.

Arts festival organiser and Council Work Readiness and Enterprise Coordinator Trudi Fraser says the university already runs tours for community groups and was excited by the opportunity to make its collection more accessible to the community.

“A lot of people don’t know that they have a big collection of New Zealand art, so it was a good opportunity to open it up to the public.”

Other events range from spoon carving to ‘create a critter’ illustration workshops and a ‘feathered friends’ themed exhibition of art at Te Huanui Art Gallery in Darfield.

The week will also cover fashion with a glass jewellery workshop, while artist Emily Dot is offering to turn people’s sneakers into fashion statements by collecting and painting them for $10 a pair. People are welcome to drop in their clean canvas or leather sneakers from 10–11am on Saturday 14 November and Emily will paint them ready for collection later in the week.

For more information on the Selwyn Arts Festival check the online timetable or pick up a brochure from one our libraries and service centres.