Several months ago I was wandering past some empty shop spaces in Rolleston, and I thought how amazing it would be if these empty windows were filled with beautiful pieces of art by local artists. One phone call later and I suddenly had a project on my hands and “Windows on Art” was born.
With the help of a team from Selwyn Practicing Artists and some amazing sponsors, that small idea became a beautiful reality. Pulling this project off was a brilliant end to the year.
Background of Selwyn Practicing Artists
Selwyn Practicing Artists (SPA) is a group for working artists in the Selwyn District to connect, network and develop their art practice. We meet monthly and have members from a variety of artistic disciplines.
The Inspiration
Windows on Art is a concept inspired by an initiative in Nelson called Make/Shift Spaces (https://makeshiftspaces.nz). The idea is to re-use or re-invigorate unused retail spaces by tapping into the creative talents in the community.
The Location
SPA was very generously offered the use of two retail window spaces in Rolleston. Rolleston is a town of about 22,000 people, located about 20 minutes from Christchurch City on New Zealand’s Canterbury Plains. The retail spaces used in the display are in one of Rolleston’s main shopping areas. They get a high level of foot traffic on a daily basis. If you are wanting to view the art you can find it in shop T37 and T14 on the following map: https://rollestonsquare.co.nz/map/
Purpose
– To generate opportunities for local artists to gain wider exposure
– To fill an otherwise empty retail space with a vibrant installation that helps to show the potential of the space to a potential leasee for the landlord.
Interested in Entering an Artwork?
Members of SPA register to take part by filling in an online registration form. If you are an artist in the Selwyn region and interested in joining SPA you can find more information here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/selwynpracticingartis