Activities
Matariki Whānau Day
From 11am / Koha
Join us in waiata, story-telling and creating on Saturday 15 July.
See below for the programme.
11am – 1pm
Atua stories with Paula Conroy
Make a natural strong cord and weave your goals and aspirations for Matariki, with Tiare from Woven Māori
All-ages adornment-making workshop using natural objects, with Neke Moa
2pm – 3pm
Official Opening of our Matariki Artist in Residence with Neke Moa
3pm – 4pm
Learn2Waiata: Low tech Māori-oke with Areta Wilkinson (Ngāi Tahu) and Aurora Smith (Ngāti Pōrou). You can’t sing? That’s no excuse, neither can we! Learn a few simple waiata for your repertoire.
We’re a not-for-profit charitable trust. A $2 koha per activity or $10 for the day for a group is appreciated to support our running costs.
Creative Catch-ups: last Friday of every month
11am-12pm / $2 koha
Calling all creatives, artists and crafters! On the last Friday of each month, we invite you to have a cuppa, work on your creative projects, or simply chat and connect with like-minded people at Oxford Gallery.
There are many creative people in our community and as artists we understand the importance of getting together to talk about our projects, our successes and our struggles! Painters, spinners, weavers, potters, sewists, photographers – or even not-sure-yets -all are welcome.
We will meet on the last Friday of every month at the gallery, from 11-12, but if you wish to stay longer you’re welcome to. Tea and coffee is available and, if you can, a $2 koha towards the gallery’s running costs is appreciated. No registration required.
THIS MONTH: on Friday 26 May, we are bringing paints and paper to experiment with a technique to spark ideas and concepts. You don’t need to be a confident artist to have a go, this is the painting equivalent to looking for shapes in the clouds! There’s no pressure to take part in the activity, just come and chat if you wish.
Don’t Bring a Thing: A Beginner’s Watercolour Workshop
Saturday 10 June / 11.30am – 3pm / 18yrs+ / $100pp
*FULLY BOOKED*
Don’t Bring a Thing is a half-day introduction to watercolour for beginners, by artist Neela Curran. Neela has designed this workshop for beginners and those who haven’t painted for a while but would like to refresh their skills.
You will be guided, every step of the way, by a tutor who knows how beginners think and feel, and will teach you the basic foundational skills to dispel those age old myths about watercolour being a difficult medium.
You will learn about four ways to use watercolour, the papers that work best and why, the differences in pigments, what water can do, and what it can’t, as well as what brushes can be used to produce amazing effects. Techniques will be demonstrated by the tutor and students will use top-quality artist grade paints, brushes and paper, all supplied.
You will be seated, not standing and all students will finish the workshop with a beautiful tonal painting to take home and frame.
This workshop is intended for people aged 18 and above.
Tea and coffee provided. Please bring a packed lunch or support the local shops and cafes. You’ll also need an apron or old shirt to protect your clothing, and a notebook and pen if you wish to take notes.
About the tutor:
Award winning Australian/British artist and tutor Neela Curran, strongly believes that a few people are born with natural talent… and that she is not one of them… but that the other 99 per cent of people can learn to paint and draw, like learning to read and write.
Neela is passionate about introducing beginners to the therapeutic world of art, and once believing that she had no drawing or painting skills whatsoever, taught herself to paint reading over 100 watercolour books and then developed an easy going, relaxed style of teaching to help beginners feel comfortable, gain confidence and self esteem.
Neela has combined a career in human services working as an allied health clinician, with art, and has taught watercolour to people in disability and mental health services, drug and alcohol rehabs, and clients of the Department of Corrections. She has won numerous awards in watercolour and sugar art in Australia and has featured in newspapers, magazines and television over several years.
Image courtesy Neela Curran
Being All Powerful: A Creative Day Out
Sunday 28 May / 10.30am – 4.30pm / adults and children over 10yrs / FREE or gold coin koha
Only 10 places available. Please register using the button below.
*Please note that the date of this even has changed to Sunday 28 May*
Being All Powerful is a free, fun-filled textile experience, on Sunday 28 May. Suitable for anyone from 10 to 110 years old!
You will bring simple line drawings to life with colour and texture using fabric, yarn, ribbon and general haberdashery. Use your own drawings as a starting point or take inspiration from resources that artist Charrette van Eekelen will supply, then delve into a stash of materials to create your work.
We bring you this workshop alongside the exhibition, Charrette van Eekelen: All Powerful Beings (Darholm vs Shivlack)
Please bring a packed lunch or visit Oxford’s shops and cafes.
