New manager for Papakura’s Art Gallery

A blank canvas: Papakura’s art gallery is offering artists from the district the ultimate opportunity to put their work in front of the community.

The gallery is in the midst of an interior make-over, and new Art Gallery Manager Emma Millynn is inviting the district’s creative community to come down and meet her.

A Papakura resident for most of her life, Emma says the gallery itself is one of the district’s most valuable artistic assets.

“Papakura has such a strong sense of community and identity, and the gallery is the perfect place to reflect that and put our talents on show.”

She is assembling expressions of interest from local artists who are keen to be part of the Gallery’s annual Small Packages Christmas exhibition, which opens on December 3.

“There’s always huge interest in Small Packages, it’s a great exhibition that brings high numbers of local people into the Gallery to add small items to their Christmas shopping and support local artists - and for the exhibiting artists it’s a great way to generate some pre-Christmas income.”

In addition, local businesses have expressed interest in having end of year cocktail-type functions in the Gallery during the exhibition. 

“This is another way people from Papakura and the region can get to know our very talented local artists, and it’s a great venue for hosting clients and associates among some very good local art.”

Emma, 27, is well equipped for the day to day management of the Gallery with extensive sales, marketing and display experience.

Located in the historic Papakura Fire Station on Averill Street, the Gallery is close to the town centre and has off-street parking directly outside. Emma says the chance to see the space inside the building without art in place has been an “inspiration”.

“It’s an amazing space and so well located, right in the heart of the town. There’s tremendous potential to build the Gallery’s profile in the district and the Auckland region. Now we’re focussing on the Small Packages exhibition and on building a new database of artists so we can start to fill our exhibition calendar for the coming year.”

The advent of the new “anti-spam” legislation means the new gallery needs to gather its own set of contact details from artists and from those interested in the arts. The Gallery’s newsletter will also be refreshed and made available in hard copy and by email to those who add their details to the new database.

Artists interested in being part of the Small Packages exhibition or in showing their work at the Gallery in 2008 are invited to contact Emma by phoning 297 7510 or emailing emillynn@papakura.govt.nz

“Or just drop in and say hello, I’m always keen to meet our artists for a catch-up chat over a cuppa.”