It’s the ‘Gumboot Capital of the World’, and proudly lives up to that reputation.

You could describe Iwen Yong as an accidental artist. Malaysian-born, he moved to New Zealand with his family at the age of six. First settling in Wellington, they moved to the Hutt Valley where he attended primary and high school.

Two bananas duct taped to the wall find themselves unexpectedly in the spotlight. In a clown, fruit mash-up of physical theatre, How To Art is hitting the walls of Basement Theatre in Auckland.

To say the artist duo Kemi Whitwell and Niko Leyden have an obsession with backcountry huts is no overstatement. 

It’s been the focus of their art and design for more than 12 years. The Waikato-based couple, who dub themselves Kemi & Niko, employ the skills of fine craft modelling, sustainable building and social connection to create miniatures of classic, and public programmes, for people to engage with them.

For more than two decades, award-winning journalist and presenter, Amanda Gillies has been gracing the screens in the living rooms of Kiwi homes.

Extraordinary photographs of youth in late 70’s early ‘80s Newcastle in the UK have in recent years started to come fully into the light, thanks to the photographer’s daughter. Work that offers an interesting counter to debate over the ethics of documentary photography around the work of artists like Ans Westra here in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Nicknamed at one time ‘The Demon Snapper’ for her controversial advocacy, working class photographer Tish Murtha powerfully captured the impact of Thatcherism on the north east of England.

Tucked away in the armpit of Cuba Street is Buttercat Tattoo, a collective of six artists dedicated to elevating each other's work and exploring a broad range of tattoo designs and techniques.

Artists Rose Hu and Tim Gadia speak to Culture 101 about how they carved out unique careers that satisfy their artistic passions.

This week poet Tusiata Avia once again found herself in the news.

The popular Kāpiti Arts Trail is on over the first two weekends of November, boasting over 300 artists opening up their studios and shared spaces, or exhibiting in 13 galleries from Ōtaki to Paekākāriki. Since 2001 the programme has helped put Kāpiti on the map.  

A keen supporter is the district’s mayor Janet Holborow, who joins us for this week's Regional Wrap.

From the Cuba Street bucket fountain to the fake lake at Te Papa and the famous 1958 James Turkington mural at the Parnell Baths, artist duo Bena Jackson and Max Fleury have an interest in our relationship to public water features.