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Done, and enjoyed!
June - July 2017
- A free programme for creative activity. open to all, at and around Mairangi Arts Centre.
- Provided with support of Creative Communities Scheme.
- ALL AGES, ALL TIMES! -
we are exploring how art in our community could be otherwise!
unofficial discussion document
++ here
we are thinking about two things, at least...
what could an art centre be?
"how could we 'do' our art centre differently?"
an open invitation for July 1-22
++ here (finished, for the moment...)
what could be an art centre?
"what 'other stuff' in our neighbourhood could we use as art centres?"
games for creative activity in everyday life
++ all here!
Free Shared Space for Activities
July 1 - 22 at MAC
warm! free! non-commercial!
We offered the MAC gallery spaces for you to use freely for your activities during this time.
Could MAC function as an open studio, a shared space for exploration, relaxation, zoning-out, creative productivity, eating, binge-watching Korean soap operas, displaying art works - whatever - for anyone?
We offered a porous space where you might bump-up against ideas, objects and 'others'.
See the MAC website for more details and please contact Chris chris@a-small-lab.com / 022-0854-866 for anything related to this.
we continued our tradition of weird cuts...
do you sometimes think that creative activity in our community could be different?
Mairangi Arts Centre receives a reasonable amount of financial and other support from the 'community'. How could MAC work to support more, and more kinds, of art and creativity in our neighbourhoods? How could things be otherwise?
STILL OPEN - let's discuss and do it. we can.
we DO say yes!
are you interested in how MAC could work for education, art and creativity around here?
please join us at our always-open meetings of the MAC education sub-committee with MAC GM Angela Suh, board members, and anyone else who is interested. You don't have to have a connection to MAC or be an expert. Just be interested!
Read and edit/comment on the document of first meeting (June 20) HERE
Next Meeting: TBC - Mid-July
Food, drinks, warmth, and conviviality promised.
Drop in for the meeting, or become a regular member... up to you.
juicer apparatus improvisations
Tracey and Chris' juicing station was appropriated by many and turned into a toolkit for improvising weird juicing machines.
largest hammock!
we repurposed a trampoline frame rescued from a family that had to quickly move out of their house due to the whims of an absent land"lord". the result was a weird, makeshift, and super-strong hammock made of donated "string-like" materials...
bermside centre
handmade art centre on a berm!
"recent zines stall"
some young ladies made some weird zines and created a cool "recent zines" space.
ginger beer factory
Tracey's great ginger beer factory has lived for many months, and inspired a ginger beer tasting riot at a local school. Inspiration for and part of edible bay project.
depression as a high-powered lens for art
free distribution of reprint of this pamphlet by and about Kyohei Sakaguchi - download PDF HERE (produced for summer art, not-school 2016
local citrus cordial/preserve
A whole lot made of local fruit at the juicing station by a group of friends and left in the fridge to refresh visitors over the period of our Free Shared Space for Activities.
roast vege offer
the "seconds" bin at the local vege shop proved to be a good supply of various roots to offer for roasted snacks in our kitchen.
free frugal vege soup
an always brewing vege soup of gifted and "seconds" veges was a resource for offering a warming snack and a slow chat...
Semi-Lattice Map
Great sketch of the semi-lattice functions of our Free Space for Activities by Kaoru Kodama HERE
Weapons Workshop
We were reunited with a couple of boys with a love of making weapons. We are looking forward to collaborating with them on a weapons and tools workshop later this year!
hanging garden
Amy introduced us to the wonders of cut-up wine bottle self-watering hanging gardens as part of our ongoing investigations into a more edible Mairangi Bay...
do you want to do (or are you doing) something 'art' or 'creative' in the Bays?
Chris Berthelsen, Deputy Chairperson of the Mairangi Arts Centre (pictured) welcomes you, ANYTIME, to talk, share ideas, work out ways to do something (funding, space, support, whatever).
All you need is some kind of vague feeling or idea that things could be different here... You don't have to be an artist!
zine session (15 July, 1-4) at MAC
An afternoon of collage, colour & creativity. Learn how to make a mini zine and have fun with scissors, glue and crayons. You know you want to! - Organised by Zee Southcombe
do you want to experiment with 'stuff'?
Local weirdo Chris Berthelsen invites you to come over ANYTIME to his (mum's) junkyard garage and berm to chew the fat, tinker, or enjoy his sidewalk morning tea stall...
are you interested in the Mairangi Orchard?
It's a free orchard scattered around our neighbourhood, made up of existing fruit trees in private gardens and public spaces. Excess fruit is used in free workshops to make delicious and useful treats for all.
ALWAYS happy to have a slow meal together...
did you know that you can make functional and pleasurable ceramics with the collapsing cliffs of Mairangi Bay?
TRY! You can do it any time by yourself, or join us in frequent sessions...
have you noticed the pleasures of creative activity in everyday life?
We have been noticing and collecting ways that experimentation, art, and making are already part of everyday life. Please join us.
making our school,
mending our school,
slowly
MOSS at Mairangi Bay School is an experiment in student-led mending and making of their everyday school environment where students develop observation, research, iterative design and reflection skills.
we met a new woodworking and ceramics workshop Galaxy Art & Science in Mairangi Bay
They are super friendly and make amazing things! - Vist them: HERE & on FB
DIY microgreen nursery for small spaces
Amy introduced us to the powers of this mysterious microgreen growing machine as part of our investigations into a more edible Mairangi Bay
harvest
Many people kept anonymously replenishing our stock of seasonal citrus from local private gardens but when we ran low we took out this weird handmade "wheelbarrow" made of stuff scavanged from "around here".
would you like to go off-track?
please join us in frequent exploring-walks through nearby bush.
bermside clay invitation
you are welcome to take some clay from this bermside stall, make something at home, and return it to Chris for firing.
take a chance on pleasure and functionality!
more details here
kawakawa & orange experiment
happened at Mairangi Arts Centre on 13 (Tues) June, Morning-Tea Time.
we took a chance on pleasure and taste, making kawakawa-infused oranges, and a peel + kawakawa tea using resources from the neighbourhood.
part of Mairangi Orchard
Juicing the Bay!
June 27/29 at MBS
Juicing and preserved syrup making session using donated fruit from neighbourhood trees!
Part of Mairangi Orchard more details here
Brick Plus Walk
crucial "European" artist Rumen Rachev staged his first Brick Plus Walk right in the heart of Mairangi Bay. Enjoy his video documentation HERE
Courtney can do many things!
it was so great to have Courtney set up her studio at MAC during Free Shared Space for Activities!
games for creative activity in everyday life
++ all here!
past programmes
- summer open workshop 2017
- summer art not-school 2016
- other workshops here
"our neighbourhood offers an incredible variety of learning labs"
+ sign up for updates about this project and future programmes here
+ in collaboration with Mairangi Arts Centre, provided with support of Creative Communities Scheme
Mairangi Arts Centre is a vibrant, community based visual arts education facility and exhibition venue. Our mission is to educate and foster growth in the creative arts by providing access to and participation in the arts for all. More details HERE
Each year Creative New Zealand provides Creative Communities Scheme (CCS) funding to city and district councils throughout New Zealand to distribute in their area. The scheme supports more than 1,800 projects every year. More details HERE