A lifetime of work on show
A local art legend will be honoured this weekend with an exhibition showcasing a lifetime of work.
Donald Paterson is one of Wānaka's most enduring artistic voices and a quiet force in the town's creative spirit.
The Wānaka Arts Society is set to present an exhibition honouring Paterson's contribution to the local arts community and showcasing a diverse collection of his works.
As a founding member of Printmakers Wānaka and a life member of the Wānaka Arts Society, his impact reaches far beyond his art.
Over the years, he has helped foster a thriving creative community, encouraging artists of all ages to connect, experiment and create.
The exhibition will span his decades-long practice and feature a curated selection of his sketches, drawings and prints.
Each piece is a reflection of his keen eye and deep connection to the landscapes and people around him. His work is both thoughtful and masterful, whether he is working with ink pencil or press.
"I started painting around 1985, mainly in watercolour and occasionally in acrylic," Patterson said.
"Since taking evening classes in printmaking, I have worked mainly in this medium."
In 1984, Patterson began painting mainly with watercolour, and attended printmaking classes at Otago Polytechnic.
He was a finalist in the Telecom Art Awards twice and was awarded the Fred O'Neill Medallion by the Otago Art Society.
The exhibition will run at the Wānaka Community Hub from 9am to 5pm on August 15 and 16.
All works on display will be available to buy, offering an opportunity to take home a piece of Patterson's artistic legacy.
— Allied Media
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Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
A lifetime of work on show
Local legend Donald Paterson shows his printmaking which will be displayed at the Wānaka Community Hub this weekend. PHOTO: SUPPLIED A local art legend will be honoured this weekend with an exhibition showcasing a lifetime of work. Donald Paterson is one of Wānaka's most enduring artistic voices and a quiet force in the town's creative spirit. The Wānaka Arts Society is set to present an exhibition honouring Paterson's contribution to the local arts community and showcasing a diverse collection of his works. As a founding member of Printmakers Wānaka and a life member of the Wānaka Arts Society, his impact reaches far beyond his art. Over the years, he has helped foster a thriving creative community, encouraging artists of all ages to connect, experiment and create. The exhibition will span his decades-long practice and feature a curated selection of his sketches, drawings and prints. Each piece is a reflection of his keen eye and deep connection to the landscapes and people around him. His work is both thoughtful and masterful, whether he is working with ink pencil or press. "I started painting around 1985, mainly in watercolour and occasionally in acrylic," Patterson said. "Since taking evening classes in printmaking, I have worked mainly in this medium." In 1984, Patterson began painting mainly with watercolour, and attended printmaking classes at Otago Polytechnic. He was a finalist in the Telecom Art Awards twice and was awarded the Fred O'Neill Medallion by the Otago Art Society. The exhibition will run at the Wānaka Community Hub from 9am to 5pm on August 15 and 16. All works on display will be available to buy, offering an opportunity to take home a piece of Patterson's artistic legacy. — Allied Media
Otago Daily Times
02-08-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Community artwork on display
One of the creations made during the Art in Nature workshop led by Chrissy Wicks. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED A community-driven art exhibition is being set up this weekend to help show off the hidden talents of Wānaka's creatives. Independent Wānaka artist Chrissy Wicks, took it upon herself to gather local artistic talent of all ages and showcase their work at the annual Community Hub exhibition. It all started with her work alongside Wānaka Primary School students, helping them create a Festival of Colour installation at the Dinosaur Park. With a passion for fostering creativity, Ms Wicks did not just want to create art but encourage both children and adults to get their work out there, no matter what it was. "I really enjoy doing big art, but I also really enjoy teaching other kids or encouraging kids and adults to get involved in art," she said. As part of her work with the primary school she helped the senior students paint different seasons on recycled timber and pine cones to decorate the Dinosaur Park for the Festival of Colour. She was now taking the installation and exhibiting it at the Community Hub this month. "It's just another opportunity to really promote and encourage kids to do art and for them to see it in a gallery space." In addition to her work with the primary school earlier this year, Ms Wicks was also involved with Art in Nature, a community art workshop held at Wānaka Station Park over five weeks earlier this year. The idea behind the workshop was to encourage mental wellbeing by talking a walk through the park and gathering material such as pinecones for an artistic creation. "I like to encourage people to go into nature to do art," Ms Wicks said. Students from this workshop would also be exhibiting their work this month to give them a sense of accomplishment over their creations. These artworks will be exhibited for all of August as well as other community art groups who will continue their displays through till October. Community Hub co-ordinator Jan Ballam said they would also be hosting groups such as Print Makers Wānaka, Mint Art, and Wai Wānaka with Photography. "These groups will exhibit freely as they are some of the hardworking non-profit groups in Wānaka," she said. The exhibition will be on display Monday to Friday from 9am-5pm, starting after this weekend.
NZ Herald
14-07-2025
- NZ Herald
Dancing up a storm: The radical contemporary-ballet crossover of Home, Land and Sea
A collaboration between the Royal NZ Ballet, contemporary dancers and a rock icon examines themes of navigation, identity and belonging. Photo / Stephen A'Court. As he approaches his 50th birthday, choreographer Moss Te Ururangi Patterson (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Pūkenga, Ngāti Rāhiri) is still pushing boundaries. In his latest creation, Home, Land and Sea, the artistic director of the New Zealand Dance Company is doing something that hasn't been done before in local dance: six contemporary dancers from his company join six ballet dancers from the Royal New Zealand Ballet to perform his piece. As he puts it, the choreography will be a challenge for each group, but he's excited about the potential magic. 'The New Zealand style of contemporary dance is very athletic, it's very grounded, it's very circular, and it's very bold. Ballet has quite a different aesthetic; it's elevated, it's off the ground, it's very symmetrical and has an inherent beauty to it. We are bringing two distinct styles together to realise something else. 'The unknown future is this: What if there is a middle space we've never explored, which could symbolise the next stage of dance in this country?' While dance companies can and do collaborate, it is unprecedented to bring the two nationally focused companies together, especially when they are typically rivals for ticket sales. But Patterson is friends with the RNZB artistic director, Ty King-Wall, and he hopes their collaboration is symbolic of what he'd like to see happening more in New Zealand – socially, politically, and in the arts. Says Patterson: 'It's important that we step up, we're the very best at what we can do, that we show our skill as contemporary dancers to national audiences across the country, alongside the best ballet dancers in the country.' Shayne Carter: His music for Home, Land and Sea is political. Photo / Stephen A'Court. Collaboration goes further than just the dancers. Rock musician Shayne Carter (Straitjacket Fits, Dimmer) has created a score he hopes will jolt the ballet audience. Carter describes Home, Land and Sea as a political piece. 'I'm pretty angry about where things are, about the rise of the right and the displacement of people. The political tides are eroding the land, and our sense of identity. That's a big brief to put into three musical notes.' Musically, he wants to evoke an atmosphere, to bring moments of beauty and corrosive elements to Patterson's creation. 'Everything I do creatively has to have an intent to it,' Carter says. 'In this commission, I want to have moments of beauty and the grandeur of nature, but also to reflect on the reality of where we are now. That's my inspiration, like it or lump it.' Carter has been working on various arts projects for the past decade, ever since he and Patterson collaborated on the Atamira Dance Company's Pango/Black, which told the Māori creation story. Then, Carter performed live on stage with the company as it took the work to Taiwan and China. This time he's recording the score and the themes are broader: navigation, identity, belonging and validation, all told through music and dance. The new work shares the title of the 2004 TrinityRoots album. 'They're my bros. I've known them all for years,' Patterson says. He went to school with drummer Riki Gooch and is related to bassist Rio Hemopo. Stories about navigation, from Europe and the Pacific, fascinate him, as does how these can be expressed through dance. Divided into three parts, Home will be an unyielding opening, with overtones of Māori dance, and bold movements reflecting New Zealanders today. 'We're built on a nation of hard workers, of teams of people, communities of people doing things together.' Dancers rehearse for Home, Land and Sea. Photos / Stephen A'Court Land will be more sculptural, beautiful and ethereal, as dancers move to Carter's almost ghostly, soulful guitar soundtrack. 'When I listen to the score it makes me think of a Colin McCahon or Robyn Kahukiwa painting,' says Patterson. Sea looks into the future. Movements will be intense, reflecting our rocky, turbulent world. 'It's talking about the discomfort of not knowing where we're going but trying to let little rays of light into the score to give us hope. We'll have some very beautiful, kinetic, moving tableaux. In the last section, we'll have a very physical, cyclical, circular and aerial style, some lifting, throwing, lots of movement that takes us off-centre. That will probably unsettle people. They'll be thinking: 'What's Moss trying to say there?' Patterson says it ends with a note of uncertainty but also hope. 'The future is uncertain. But in that uncertainty, there has to always be hope. We need to feel hopeful … We've got to make serious work now. Shayne doesn't do anything by halves, and neither do I. 'The social impact of this piece is a very important part of my arts practice. As a proud indigenous Ngāti Tūwharetoa grandson, it's important that I stand up and speak from that place proudly and speak on behalf of dance proudly. I hope that we can create something beautiful and hopeful, that speaks about the importance of knowing who we are.' Choreographers Moss Te Ururangi Patterson and Shaun James Kelly. Photos / Stephen A'Court A second work, Chrysalis, is also having its world premiere in the programme. Created by the RNZB choreographer-in-residence, Shaun James Kelly, it's his first commissioned production for the main stage. It's an important, symbolic piece, coming just months after the Scottish-born dancer, who has spent 12 years with the RNZB, was given New Zealand residency. There's a deeper story in Chrysalis about his metamorphosis as a dancer in Scotland, to his journey as a soloist and choreographer with the RNZB. 'It's that journey of everything I've learned and my collaboration with the dancers I perform with too,' he says. Chrysalis begins with the dancers emerging in trench coats with costumes beneath. During the next 40 minutes, they will slowly discard their garments, until each dancer simply wears a unique, hand-painted unitard by fashion designer Rory William Docherty. 'I came across this concept where you wear clothing to hide yourself or to express yourself,' James Kelly says. 'Some people allow you to let down your guard, to reveal your true self. I thought, what is the best way to show that to an audience?' Royal New Zealand Ballet & New Zealand Dance Company: Home, Land and Sea, choreographed by Moss Patterson, music by Shayne Carter: Wellington, July 24-26; Auckland, July 31-Aug 2; August 8-9.
