{"id":358,"date":"2023-04-22T03:06:58","date_gmt":"2023-04-22T03:06:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myholidayradar.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/22\/whanganui-is-for-art-and-design-lovers\/"},"modified":"2023-04-22T03:06:58","modified_gmt":"2023-04-22T03:06:58","slug":"whanganui-is-for-art-and-design-lovers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myholidayradar.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/22\/whanganui-is-for-art-and-design-lovers\/","title":{"rendered":"Whanganui is for art and design lovers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In another life, I would have pursued a career in art. Perhaps one day, I might still.<\/p>\n

Growing up, I always felt absolutely overwhelmed with creativity. I read books and got lost in my imagination for hours. I loved to paint and sketch, making things with my hands. But like many young people, that is neither a viable nor encouraged career path, especially in the USA.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I can still remember letting go of my art classes in favor of classes and extracurriculars that would look better on college applications. And after many years, I suppose I found my way back through writing and photography. Slowly I have begun drawing again.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Perhaps because of this, I\u2019ve always gravitated toward museums and places that emphasize art in my travels.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\tHow blogging taught me to be creative again<\/a>\t<\/div>\n

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Left: by New Zealand artist Cinzah<\/em><\/h5>\n

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The art in Whanganui<\/a> has been a well-known scene for a while, though I didn\u2019t know it. In fact, Whanganui is a member of UNESCO\u2019s Creative Cities Network<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, I love having no expectations when it comes to traveling. That always leaves heaps of room to be surprised. And wow, the art scene in Whanganui was amazing. It felt like a real hub for creatives. I felt right at home. Something is always happening, whether art, music, theater or just about anything.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There\u2019s even an established Coastal Art Trail<\/a> you can follow on the North Island\u2019s west coast.\u00a0<\/p>\n

From the perspective of a curious visitor, there was so much to see and do. I was there for nearly a week and could have stayed longer. From creative street art to amazing galleries to pop-up events and other visual art exhibits, the art in Whanganui was so impressive.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a glimpse of the art in Whanganui through my own eyes. Enjoy!<\/em><\/p>\n

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Explore Whanganui through its street art<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Cities that support street art<\/a> are always cool, in my opinion. And there are so many amazing pieces of art around Whanganui. Searching for them is the perfect way to get to know a new place, even if you look funny hanging out in random parking lots.<\/p>\n

Many of these cool murals were created during Whanganui Walls, a street art festival, a few years ago. Over the course of four days, street artists from around the world have a chance to make their mark on Whanganui.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The downtown area of Whanganui is really walkable. Take your time wandering around, and you\u2019ll stumble across some pretty amazing art \u2013 trust me.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t30 photos that will inspire you to visit Whanganui<\/a>\t<\/div>\n

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Right: by SwiftMantis of Whanganui stray cat, Hangar | Left: by Pat Perry, painting of Edith Collier<\/em><\/h5>\n

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By Amsterdam artist Amok Island<\/em><\/h5>\n

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By Dan Mills<\/em><\/h5>\n

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\u2018The Weird Tales Of Whanganui\u2019 by Cracked Ink<\/em><\/h5>\n

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By Claire Foxton \u2013 two elders from the local iwi, Kataraina Millin and her Josephine Takarangi-Firmin\u00a0<\/em><\/h5>\n

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Try your hand at glassblowing\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

New Zealand Glassworks<\/a> \u2013 Te Whare T\u016bhua o Te Ao \u2013 is one of the coolest spots to experience art in Whanganui, even hands-on. In fact, it\u2019s actually the national center for glass art in New Zealand; how cool is that?<\/p>\n

Located in the local newspaper\u2019s old printing press building in the heart of downtown Whanganui, it\u2019s an amazing space where you can watch the artists at work, shop and check out their collections, and even participate in a class yourself. It\u2019s interactive. I was lucky enough to spend some time making my own paperweight here. There\u2019s something so mesmerizing about watching and working with melted glass. Very AMSR.<\/p>\n

Though how they tolerate the heat, I couldn\u2019t tell you. I felt my mascara melting off. If you\u2019re keen to make a paperweight, sign up for the workshop<\/a> well in advance; they book out fast.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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The museums are amazing<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

I will always love a local\/regional museum, especially in New Zealand. They are full of treasures.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As a well-known arts hub, a few local museums are worth checking out. Spend some time at the Whanganui Regional Museum<\/a>, which has an extensive collection of Lindauer portraits and taonga M\u0101ori artifacts. It\u2019s free to visit. The Lindauer Gallery has portraits of prominent M\u0101ori rangatira (leaders) by renowned artist Gottfried Lindauer. Upstairs is more of a natural history museum, with probably the biggest moa (huge extinct bird native to NZ) exhibit I\u2019ve ever seen. Obviously, I spent hours here.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The other incredible museum you must check out is the Quartz Museum of Studio Ceramics<\/a> includes a comprehensive collection of ceramics. Housed in the most Soviet-looking building this side of the quarter, it was established by renowned potter Rick Rudd. The Quartz Museum displays his collection of over 700 works by New Zealand and international potters. It\u2019s really cool, and also free to visit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Visit the historic Sarjeant Gallery<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Sarjeant Gallery<\/a> is home to one of the best collections of fine art in New Zealand, with over 8,000 artworks covering four centuries of European and New Zealand art history.<\/p>\n

Right now, the gallery is temporarily housed in a modern warehouse space downtown as the original gallery in one of New Zealand\u2019s most important heritage buildings is redeveloped. Once that reopens, it\u2019s going to be so impressive.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Be surprised by pop-ups and local exhibits<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Whanganui is a dynamic, creative place. It\u2019s always changing, growing, and showing off something new. From music to art to culture, it has a vibe that invites you in and makes you want to stay for a while.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As an avid reader, I try to visit local bookshops when I\u2019m traveling. Stumbling across Paige\u2019s Book Gallery<\/a> in Whanganui was just incredible. And right next door is the Lockett Gallery, NZ\u2019s only art gallery for published illustrators. There was an amazing exhibit by local artist and quilter Jenny Brown when I was there. Merging quilting with children\u2019s stories so that beloved kids in their families could wrap themselves up in their favorite story.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Isn\u2019t that beautiful? Whanganui not only shares a beautiful art culture but also paves the way for art around New Zealand. You can\u2019t help but leave feeling creative and inspired.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Have you been to Whanganui? Are you a fan of art travel too? Share!<\/em><\/p>\n

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Many thanks to Whanganui and Partners for hosting me on this amazing trip \u2013 like always, I\u2019m keeping it real. All opinions are my own, like you could expect less from me.\u00a0<\/em><\/h5>\n

The post Whanganui is for art and design lovers<\/a> appeared first on Young Adventuress<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In another life, I would have pursued a career in art. Perhaps one day, I might still. Growing up, I always felt absolutely overwhelmed with creativity. I read books and got lost in my imagination for hours. I loved to paint and sketch, making things with my hands. But like many young people, that is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":359,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ocean_post_layout":"","ocean_both_sidebars_style":"","ocean_both_sidebars_content_width":0,"ocean_both_sidebars_sidebars_width":0,"ocean_sidebar":"","ocean_second_sidebar":"","ocean_disable_margins":"enable","ocean_add_body_class":"","ocean_shortcode_before_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_after_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_before_header":"","ocean_shortcode_after_header":"","ocean_has_shortcode":"","ocean_shortcode_after_title":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_bottom":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_bottom":"","ocean_display_top_bar":"default","ocean_display_header":"default","ocean_header_style":"","ocean_center_header_left_menu":"","ocean_custom_header_template":"","ocean_custom_logo":0,"ocean_custom_retina_logo":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_height":0,"ocean_header_custom_menu":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_family":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_subset":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_size":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_unit":"px","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_line_height":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_unit":"","ocean_menu_typo_spacing":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_unit":"","ocean_menu_link_color":"","ocean_menu_link_color_hover":"","ocean_menu_link_color_active":"","ocean_menu_link_background":"","ocean_menu_link_hover_background":"","ocean_menu_link_active_background":"","ocean_menu_social_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_links_color":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_color":"","ocean_disable_title":"default","ocean_disable_heading":"default","ocean_post_title":"","ocean_post_subheading":"","ocean_post_title_style":"","ocean_post_title_background_color":"","ocean_post_title_background":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_image_position":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_attachment":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_repeat":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_size":"","ocean_post_title_height":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay":0.5,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay_color":"","ocean_disable_breadcrumbs":"default","ocean_breadcrumbs_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_separator_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_hover_color":"","ocean_display_footer_widgets":"default","ocean_display_footer_bottom":"default","ocean_custom_footer_template":"","ocean_post_oembed":"","ocean_post_self_hosted_media":"","ocean_post_video_embed":"","ocean_link_format":"","ocean_link_format_target":"self","ocean_quote_format":"","ocean_quote_format_link":"post","ocean_gallery_link_images":"on","ocean_gallery_id":[]},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/myholidayradar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/358"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/myholidayradar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/myholidayradar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myholidayradar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myholidayradar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=358"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/myholidayradar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/358\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myholidayradar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/359"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/myholidayradar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=358"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myholidayradar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=358"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myholidayradar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=358"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}