Jan Huijbers is the ART Space artist for December. Check out his art inspired by nature’s design and oceanic creatures. Jan grew up in Zundert where Van Gogh was born.

Theatre is Shona Edwards’s passion; she also writes under the name Shona M. Wilson. Shona’s comedy ‘Golding Girls’ which opens on 23 Nov is the last play she will be directing for New Plymouth’s Little Theatre before moving to Whanganui. Mikaela talks to Shona about writing scripts and bringing them to life on the theatre stage.

Artist and picture framer John Schumacher is a keen tramper, who finds inspiration in nature, science and poetry. His joyful, abstract oil pastels are on show in the ART Space in the Top Town mall throughout November.

Andrea Connor uses layers of acrylic paint to convey the patterns of nature in her semi-abstract art. Andrea is also skilled at carving and sculpting bone and stone. We talk about some of the challenges she’s dealt with over the years, including as a participant in the biannual Te Kupenga Stone Sculpture Symposium in New Plymouth

Mikaela talks to Ōakura artist Rosemary Petterson about sculpture commissions, her work on film sets, and her colourful sculptural windows ‘Love, Joy and Hope’ featured in Auckland’s 2022 Heart of the City’s celebration of spring. Currently, Rosemary is working with tamariki on a large mural for Te Pi’ipi’inga Kakano Mai / Rangiatea Kura Kaupapa Māori in Spotswood that will be unveiled at the school’s 30th birthday celebrations in November.

Janine Duff and Christine Gordon talk to Mikaela about the upcoming New Plymouth Floral Art Awards. This year, floral artists have joined up with the Embroiderers’ Guild on the theme ‘Environmental elements. We talk about foraging, what revolutionized floral art, and the elements of composition that make up a spectacular piece. This year’s award exhibition can be viewed at the Beach St Hall in Fitzroy on Saturday 29 Oct, coinciding with the Taranaki Garden Festival and Arts Trail.

Paul Coulton of Huatoki Creatives and Matt Sturgess of String Studios are our ART space artists for October. Come and check out Paul’s copper art and Matt’s hand-built guitars (electric and acoustic) in the ART Space until the end of this month. Paul and Matt have also been writing and performing blues for over 40 years, most recently as Hoos Blues.

Taranaki National Arts Awards celebrates its 20th anniversary this year (last year was canceled). Mikaela talks to TNAA Chair Megan Symons and artist Christine Byrnes about the Awards ceremony on 28 Oct that promises to be a cracker event! Volunteers wanted! The exhibition closes on 6 Nov.

Listen to part 2 of a korero with Witi Ihimaera and Vanda Symon from the inaugural NZ Society of Authors Taranaki Roadshow held in September 2022 in New Plymouth. Witi was the first Māori novelist to be published in Aotearoa, and 2022 marks 50 years since the publication of his first book Pounamu, Pounamu.

Listen to part 1 of a korero with Witi Ihimaera and Vanda Symon from the inaugural NZ Society of Authors Taranaki Roadshow held in September 2022 in New Plymouth. Witi was the first Māori novelist to be published in Aotearoa, and 2022 marks 50 years since the publication of his first book Pounamu, Pounamu.