Phone 06 769 5717.
email the gallery at realtart@xtra.co.nz
Open Monday to Friday 10am - 5pm.
Sat & Sunday 11am - 4pm.
| The Real Tart (Taranaki Art) Gallery: A Gem of a
Community Art Space In April 2006, the Real TArt (Taranaki Art) Gallery moved to its present location in the historic Masters Building near New Plymouth's coastal walkway and adjacent to the Puke Ariki Museum and Library complex. The open plan of this refitted warehouse building creates a space conducive to the display of contemporary art, and at Real TArt the focus is on the display of work by local artists, be it in the form of specialised exhibitions or individual pieces. |
What’s On at RealTART Gallery
What’s On – January 2012
New Plymouth artist, Shirley Vickery, enjoys drawing and painting, but with her latest works has become something of a furniture maker as well.
Showing at Real Tart gallery are two prototypes for her wall-hung cabinets that conceal everyday objects behind decorative doors that are artworks in their own right.
Shirley commissioned the shelves to be made for her, but the wooden doors have been hand-cut and painted by her. One cupboard is in very contemporary colours with a geometric design, the other in more traditional style resembling a William Morris pattern that would look great in a villa or bungalow.
“The cupboards are ideal for small items......spices in a kitchen, jewellery and bits and bobs in a bedroom, or ideal for medicines and toiletries in a bathroom. They’re something a bit different from the usual plain cabinets”, explains Shirley.
Cabinets by Shirley Vickery (Click on image to see a larger view) Contemporary geometric-patterned cabinet in shades of grey , orange and lemon. This traditional pattern would look good in a villa or bungalow.
There is a special treat in store for young children at Real Tart Gallery – the book starring Dingleberry the Sheep in “Learning to Fly”, written and illustrated by a writer and artist from Inglewood.
The writer is Phil Taylor, and illustrator is Agata Oleksiak, originally from Poland.
The pair met while both doing their “OE” in England, and have settled in Inglewood, where they enjoy a bit of farming.....along with their writing and illustrating.
To highlight the showing of the book at Real Tart Gallery, Agata painted several miniature canvases of the characters, Dingleberry ,the sheep, and BB, a kiwi. The paintings and the book are all on sale.
The book was published about a year ago, and has been so successful that there are four more Dingleberry titles in the pipeline.
Oakura artist, Linda McBreen, has 10 new pencil drawings on wood on show in her New Year’s exhibition at Real Tart Gallery in New Plymouth.
They include a variety of sensitively observed hands which were subjects of the popular first works the artist exhibited at Real Tart Gallery last year.
“I have always been interested in the passion and feeling that can be conveyed by hands”, says the artist.
Although she has always made art, Linda became more involved last year when she took time off from her work as a special needs teacher aid so she could explore art.
She attended art classes and worked on various themes which have interested her over the years.
Her studies are paying off it seems, as Linda won first prize in the Rural Taranaki section of the Taranaki Art Awards last year with a drawing of her son’s under-12 Rugby team listening to their coach.
Her current exhibition covers a wide range of subjects, including Rugby (The Log of Wood), Old Boys Surf Club and Mount Taranaki. The detail Linda achieves belies the fact they are drawn on wood and not paper.
The exhibition runs until the end of January.
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| Drawings by Linda McBreen | ||
| (Click on image to see a larger view) | ||
| The Log of Wood | Cupped Hands | Rural Taranaki |
| The fund-raising auction the Silent Auction was very successful, raising just over $1600 in total for the artworks. Bids came from a number of people from outside Taranaki, with the Michael Smither, Margaret Scott and Roger Morris paintings going to Wellington bidders. Real Tart Gallery is very appreciative of the anonymous donor of the works. The money raised will help maintain the gallery operation. |
Phone 769 5717 or email realtart@xtra.co.nz.
The Real Tart Gallery is run by the Taranaki Arts Community Trust -TACT
for more information about the galleries actvities and art in Taranaki please click on this TACT link.
The Real Tart Gallery is kindly supported by: Peter & Rosemary Tennent & Family,
The Devon Hotel, Marbles Buffet, Yarrows the Bakers, TSB Community Trust
All catering for gallery functions provided by the Devon Hotel
| Become a Friend of the Real TArt Gallery By joining the 'Friends' of the Real Tart Gallery, you will not only be supporting an important community art gallery, but you will also receive exclusive invitations to Gallery functions and a copy of the quarterly Newsletter, and enjoy preferential booking rights for events and venue hire. Contact the Gallery for further details. |
Please address any enquiries, including exhibition lists and prices, via email, telephone or post to:
Real TART Gallery
19 Egmont Street
New Plymouth
Tel: 06 769 5717
realtart@xtra.co.nz
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| Real TART Gallery Administered by the Taranaki Arts Community Trust, since 2006 the Real TART Gallery has been housed in the historic 'Masters Building' in Egmont Street near New Plymouth's coastal walkway. This new location has enabled the expansion of the previous exhibition space and the creation of a community gallery and arts space serving the Taranaki region. The Gallery accepts and exhibits the work of Taranaki artists; it offers a regularly changing schedule of shows from emerging and established artists, as well as special exhibitions. Taranaki artists are encouraged to exhibit their work at the Gallery through a system of monthly wall hire or by showing individual works. |
Click here to read about the Cities-of-Art International Accord.
Real TART
Any questions? email the gallery at realtart@xtra.co.nz
Or Phone 06 769 5717.