Artists descend on Darfield for Artweek

The arts community from Selwyn and the wider Canterbury community will descend on Darfield from Friday to showcase the full plethora of artistic talent in the region at the Darfield Artweek.

The 45^th edition of one of Canterbury's longest-running exhibitions will feature artists of all ages and all stages in their careers, vying for the coveted awards and attached prizemoney.

The Darfield Artweek is supported by the Selwyn Creative Communities Scheme and receives strong backing from local businesses and individuals.

Darfield Artweek opens on Friday, with a grand celebration where the winners of each category will receive their award and associated prizemoney, funded by local sponsors, and assessed by independent expert judges.

The event is a mammoth volunteer effort from artist registration, producing the catalogue, setting up and running the exhibition, as well as packing down when the Artweek concludes on October 18.

The exhibition is based at the Darfield Recreation Centre and is expected to attract over 1000 visitors from around the region and beyond.

In her application, chairperson Julie Shanks of the Darfield Artweek Subcommittee explains that the Artweek is an open exhibition with no selection process to encourage artists in all stages of their careers to showcase their artwork.

The exhibition will include paintings, photographs, jewelry, metal, stone and woodwork, as well as glass, pottery, textile and many other artforms.

The Darfield Artweek is hosted by the Malvern Community Arts Council who collectively put in over 2000 volunteer hours to make the event come to life.

Denise Kidd from the Selwyn Council says that the Darfield Artweek was a  example  of  yet another terrific  Creative Communities Scheme grant recipient as the exhibition provided a unique opportunity for local artists to show their talent.

"And just as important, the exhibition enables the artists and the local community to come together," explains the council's Executive Director for Community Services and Facilities.

"Events like the Darfield Artweek create and fuel local communities, so the council is proud to support this event with modest grant, and we want congratulate the organisers for putting this exhibition together for more than four decades."

The Darfield Artweek opens to the public on Saturday and will run until October 18.