Arts: sculpture time in Hamilton

The Sculpture Park at Waitakaruru Arboretum
Scotsman Valley Road
Tauwhare, Hamilton
Open Daily, Until February 28, 10am until dusk

 

The fifth annual Point-to-Point: Sculpture in the Park, which was opened last week by Hamilton mayor Bob Simcock,  has now become one of the major outdoor sculpture events on the arts calendar.

 

The Waikato Sculpture Trust organised the exhibition, which has been curated by Dr. Carole Shepheard, who has made full use of the unique setting provided by The Sculpture Park at the Waitakaruru Arboretum.

 

Judges Kate Vusoniwailala, Lyndon Earl, and Kate Darrow selected Dave McCracken as the winner of the Harkness Henry Sculpture Award for 2008.  The winning work, Tread Plate is made of Corten steel and is a large scale version of steel plate used as flooring in industrial and commercial locations. The work continues the artist’s interest in large scale versions of metal components.

 

Visitors can vote for their favourite sculptures among more than 80 sculptures currently set along the 2km trail within the park.  The winner of the ABN Amro Craigs People’s Choice Award will be announced on February 7.

 

The exhibition includes work by Matt McLean, winner of the Portage Ceramic Award 2008; Colleen Ryan-Priest, a finalist in the Ranamok Contemporary Glass Awards for New Zealand and Australia; and many other artists including John Ioane, Richard Joughin, Gaye Jurisich, Maureen Lander, John Lyall, Llew Summers, Marte Szirmay and Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi,

 

The Waitakaruru Arboretum was previously a quarry carved into a Waikato hillside, but has since been transformed into a 42-acre garden and arboretum. Planting, which started in 1991, has been designed to use and enhance the landscape of rocky outcrops, ponds, flowing water, and broad vistas toward Mt. Pirongia.

 

The Arboretum has been awarded the prestigious Garden of Regional Significance status from the New Zealand Garden Trust.  It is the location of one New Zealand's most extensive sculpture galleries feturing artists such as Fatu Fe’u, Fred Graham, Anna Korver and Duncan Sargeant.