From the Permanent Collection II
One of the most striking compositions in the christmas in the gallery exhibition last year, was the finely crafted Tui and Jug, by Wellington artist, Helen Cairney. The unlikely juxtaposition of an item of kitchenware with four tui birds catches the imagination, especially since the vivid blue and green hues of their feathers are allowed to dazzle among the brilliant yellow kowhai flowers that are cleverly superimposed on the composition independent of any supporting tree structur...
April 5, 2020From the Permanent Collection I
In order to curate more focused exhibitions in the gallery the Trustees decided to section off the front of the gallery from the main hall, thus enabling us to show a permanent collection from our chosen gallery artists. These pieces stay in situ until sold or rotated with new art that our gallery artists prefer to display. All these compositions are for sale, but unlike exhibition pieces, once purchased they can be removed by the buyer to enjoy immediately. Featured here is a fine w...
April 3, 2020What's in a name?
Every organization or entity that provides goods and services prefers to have instant name recognition that creates loyalty, repeat business and buying habits that become viral. For example, this is what the Apple company rely on when launching a new cell phone or digital device. In marketing terms, a brand. There are lots of them around. The most famous ones account for a significant amount of the total value of the company. According to Interbrand, the McDonalds brand on i...
April 2, 2020What on earth is that!?
The cubism of Picasso, the strong gestural lines of Tamara de Lempicka, the heretical religious provocations of Caravaggio, the Vienna Secessionists with Klimt challenging traditional artistic wisdom, all these and many more original artists took both exception and refuge in galleries that were willing to experiment with novel ideas. Such is the tapestry of creative genius. In May 2019, the Welcome Swallow Gallery opened a new exhibition entitled celebration. Right in the m...
March 30, 2020Hang Time
Is there anything more irritating than a painting in a gallery that is not level or out of alignment? The human eye is capable of registering less than 2 millimeters of misalignment, especially on the vertical axis. Imagine hanging 80 pieces of art and trying to get that right across an entire gallery exhibition. Enter the hang men. The Welcome Swallow Gallery is blessed with the support and commitment of Michael and Russell Porritt whose skills and craft have graced many a home in the Waikato. ...
March 29, 2020Behind the scenes...
Across all our social media platforms there are literally hundreds of photographs of the Welcome Swallow Gallery. We pride ourselves in presenting a beautiful space worthy of the artists' work that we are anxious to display in the best possible light. However, there are times when we are preparing for a new exhibition when we are not exactly looking our best! Frequently the changeover can involve over twenty or more artists with their work being removed and replaced. This intense activity takes ...
March 26, 2020Retrospective
As all gallery and gift operations move online, our blog space will review some of the highlights of the past year while also presenting some of the exciting things that we will be doing when we are able to re-open....
March 24, 2020Shutdown
As Covid-19 challenges our way of life, the title of our next and now postponed exhibition, A New Zealand Story, remains apposite, albeit for somewhat different reasons. Understandably, the gallery and our gifts are not deemed as essential, however, here and on our Instagram and Facebook platforms we will continue to provide features, commentary and artistic compositions for the duration of the lock down period. The Trust is going to continue its work, now and well into the future. As children a...
March 23, 2020An iconic pairing
A New Zealand Story, exhibition 3rd April - 31st May 2020...
March 20, 2020Featuring...
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March 10, 2020To build a gallery...
Cleared...
March 5, 2020Watercolour New Zealand Newsletter, March 2020
Watercolour New Zealand has published an article by Trust member Clive Gilson that reviews The Waikato Watercolourists exhibition and the origins of the paintings on display that come from the work of the great masters who were supreme in this genre. An extended version of this article can also be found in the exhibition catalogue....
March 1, 2020Congratulations to Rebecca Dowman-Ngapo
At the Welcome Swallow we are intensely proud of the work that our artists show in our gallery. Even better when one of them is further recognized on the national stage. Watercolour New Zealand recently highlighted the accomplishment of Rebecca Dowman-Ngapo with this announcement in their Newsletter: The Adam Portraiture Award is a biennial competition for painted portraits at The New Zealand Portrait Gallery. We are delighted to announce that a watercolour has been selected for the Adam Portrai...
March 1, 2020Remarkable!
A New Zealand Story, the next exhibition at the Welcome Swallow Gallery is barely a month away......
February 25, 2020Hot Damn!
The recently launched Waikato Watercolourist Exhibition @ The Welcome Swallow Gallery has attracted wide publicity. A half page article that features the exhibition with additional references to the Hodgkins exhibit and Rita Angus watercolour, has been published in stuff.co.nz, The Waikato Times and the Hamilton Press (see below). In the week following the 14th February launch, an estimated readership of over 100,000 has been reached. This has seen the Gallery hosting many new visitors who have ...
February 23, 2020Likes
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February 20, 2020The Waikato Watercolourists launch night - A packed gallery
As temperatures soared, so did the number of attendees at the launch night of the Waikato Watercolourists. MC Mark Kilgour member of the Trust Board paced the evening, pointing out that the gallery was now into its seventh exhibition since the opening in May 2019. The Volunteers' Choice award sponsored by DB Chartered Accountants and presented by Trust CEO Dorothy Gilson, was won by Bernadette Parson's, Port Waikato composition (see below). Clive Gilson highlighted the Frances Ho...
February 14, 2020The Six Waikato Watercolourists Artists
L- R: Denise White, Bernadette Parsons, Paulette Bruns, Diane Mayson-Hewitt, Sandra Barlow, Rebecca Dowman-Ngapo...
February 14, 2020The Waikato Watercolourists Exhibition 14th February - 31st March, Catalogue now available
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February 14, 2020Francis Hodgkins in the Welcome Swallow Gallery
Alongside the Waikato Watercolourist exhibition 14 February - 31st March, the gallery has a special exhibit of four Hodgkins compositions, not seen together before. See pdf below for further details....
February 13, 2020Rita Angus in the Welcome Swallow Gallery
During the Waikato Watercolourists Exhibition 14 February - 31st March, the Gallery is displaying a beautiful watercolour by Rita Angus, entitled Wainui mid-summer Banks Peninsula (1943). The pdf below provides further details regarding this composition....
February 13, 2020Advanced article on the Waikato Watercolourists Exhibition, in STUFF NZ by Mike Mather
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February 11, 2020Our Committed Volunteers
After hours, the volunteers from the Achieving Change for Children Charitable Trust (ACCCT) that runs the Gallery and Gift Shop, attend regular sessions where our progress as a Trust is put under the microscope so that we can continue to improve what we do and how it is delivered. Week in, week out multiple shifts are covered by our volunteers who remain the backbone of all our work. They bring enormous experience and dedication. No-one is paid. Everyone contributes a valuable and valued part of...
February 11, 2020The art of art
Ever wondered how paintings take shape? Where does an artist start? What happens between a blank canvas and the finished product? Click on the link below and Rebecca Dowman-Ngapo, one of the artists in the upcoming Waikato Watercolourists exhibition provides fascinating time-lapse footage that condenses this process into just a few minutes. The compositions that she shares here are part of the exhibition. https://youtu.be/xwgmQXezTks...
February 4, 2020Volunteers Wanted!
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