Venture Taranaki partnership brings the Coastal Arts Trail to life

Today the Coastal Arts Trail was officially launched to stakeholders in Taranaki, marking the end point in a long road that saw a unique partnership between Venture Taranaki, Whanganui & Partners, and the Central Economic Development Agency (CEDA) (Manawatū), who collaborated to leverage their individual depth of artistic and cultural assets to give life to New Zealand’s latest hero arts tourism product.

 

The Coastal Arts Trail is New Zealand's newest and largest arts tourism experience, featuring over 60 stops across the lower west coast of the North Island, including more than 30 stops along the Taranaki region.

 

The trail is an easy, self-driving, art-lovers' journey through the Taranaki, Whanganui, and Manawatū regions, taking visitors through an eclectic mix of public art, street art, galleries, and museums. From well-known institutions to hidden gems, away from the beaten track, travellers can expect a full range of art experiences throughout the three regions. And, if they're lucky enough to get a booking for the world's first gallery camper, they can also do it in style. 

 

The creative industry is a shared strategic focus for all three regions, and this is their most significant collaboration to date, to ensure a united approach. After extensive planning, the vision for the trail was realised with the help of government funding for the recovery of tourism communities impacted by COVID-19.

 

Taranaki regional development agency Venture Taranaki embarked on the collaboration with an ambition to build awareness around the arts and cultural offerings in Taranaki, and to increase visitation to the region as well as visitor expenditure, particularly in the arts sector. The project also recognises the importance of kotahitanga, working together towards common goals.

 

‘Our involvement in this collaboration will contribute towards strengthening the creative reputation of our region, as well as contributing to visitor sector resilience and encouraging further regional visitation,’ says Venture Taranaki General Manager People & Place, Vicki Fairley.

 

To set the Coastal Arts Trail apart, and to provide an additional product offering, an ambitious gallery camper concept was put together in conjunction with Quirky Campers NZ. Launching at the end of June, ‘Vallery’ is a world-first art gallery campervan, offering a completely immersive art experience: travellers can sleep under art, dine with art, and recline on art, all integrated in a comfortable and practical way. Boasting over 50 works by 26 different artists, ‘Vallery’ represents just a taste of the sheer volume of art to be explored and experienced on the Coastal Arts Trail, and is bookable from 10 August at quirkycampers.com. 

Nine Taranaki artists have works on exhibit inside Vallery, with a total of 23 items, including a large-scale ceiling commission from Taranaki artist Gabrielle Belz, featuring a glowing night sky. Belz's work also includes a striking black and white arch depicting some of the region's iconic native trees and birds. Keen eyes may recognise local beachscapes in Diane Stoppard’s pinhole photography, reproduced on the camper's bedding. 

 

Travellers will also discover a number of other works throughout the campervan, including a selection of works collected from galleries and artist's studios throughout Taranaki. From celebrated local artists such as Rohan Wealleans and Sally Laing, to exciting newcomers discovered at the inclusive Gover St Gallery space, there's a lot to explore.

Fairley says the artistic collaboration is a testament to the region's artists and makers and will support tourism in region. ‘We're delighted to play host to the Coastal Arts Trail, and everyone exploring it. ‘Vallery’ allows us to showcase just some of the talent present in Taranaki, and we’re looking forward to welcoming domestic and international visitors in region to experience the rest.’

 

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More about the creation of ‘Vallery’

Vallery’s vibrant exterior is based on a commission by Whanganui ceramic artist Ivan Vostinar. His unique raw ceramic base material - made with local beach sand - has been dipped in an oceanic inspired natural glaze and then intricately photographed and recreated to give the whole van the feeling of being a ceramic vessel.

Among the many works on exhibit inside the van is a ceiling commission from Taranaki artist Gabrielle Belz, featuring a glowing night sky. It's this, along with the Vonnie Sterritt painting printed onto the cabin's drop-down curtains that create the effect of being immersed within the landscape, even when you're inside. Curious travellers will find their explorations rewarded by the discovery of a myriad of petite artworks from right across the Coastal Arts Trail, hidden in drawers and in mounted lightbox features.

The unique concept has sparked interest from international travellers even before Vallery's completion, says Quirky Campers' Leanne Edwards. ‘It's definitely a concept people are excited about, and with the border reopening, there's interest from overseas too. Before Vallery's listing on our website even had photos, we had bookings from the UK coming in.’ 

 

About Quirky Campers

Quirky Campers is a small New Zealand business run by husband-and-wife team Leanne and Dan Edwards, offering handcrafted campervan rentals. They act as an agent for a collection of friendly and likeminded campervan owners, each with a unique and beautiful vehicle they have lovingly created and want to share with the world. Quirky Campers is all about celebrating creativity, craftsmanship, ‘made in NZ’ and getting out there to see New Zealand’s beautiful backyard… preferably in a gorgeous bach-on-wheels!

www.quirkycampers.com/nz

 

About Vallery Curator Aimée Ralfini

For the last nine years, Aimée Ralfini has curated visual arts activation platform Art Ache. Art Ache communicates fine art and creative thought to a wide and varied audience through events, social media, digital billboard campaigns, podcasts and other bespoke activations. Through it Ralfini aims to strengthen New Zealand’s creative muscle.

 

As the founder and curator of Art Ache Ralfini has mentored and generated interview podcasts for well over 200 New Zealand artists, from emerging to Aotearoa New Zealand’s most esteemed. She has produced 20 art events, hosted an art radio show for four years (establishing it as viable entertainment), and has her exhibition selection of Tāmaki Makaurau published monthly in Verve.

 

Ralfini is passionate about the role art plays in society, through her work she strives to make it more accessible and part of everyday conversation. Ralfini wholeheartedly believes artists are the litmus paper of society, changemakers, who create new pathways towards holistic wellbeing. Her reputation for this genuine investment in an artists’ work enables her to connect with artists and share their stories on a deeper level.