"Draw and paint whatever you want. Don’t listen too much to people saying, that’s not in fashion. You still have to do what you love to do."

Encouraging words from Carina McQueen, oil painter, exhibiting at Lysacht Watt Gallery in Hawera this month, with Amy Taunt.

Avant-garde, jazz and bushfire-inspired poetry accompanied by improvisational provocateurs Late for Life Drawing at this month's Logo Malarky at Koru on Devon.

A community arts radio show aims to take on the belief that the arts are exclusive.

"[My work] can be challenging for some people, and it's supposed to be. That work has been created by digging deep into my shadow... and looking at some things that were difficult to look at. That's going to show people something in themselves as well. It's going to stimulate something."

Skilfully curated around the Kabbalah's 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞, Hidden Realms is on at Percy Thomson Gallery until 19 January, bringing together more than 20 Taranaki artists. At the opening night, Theosophical Society New Plymouth president Ben Upton reads bronze sculptor Kayla Upton's description of the Tree of Life, its importance and relevance.

Suraya talks with Ruth Buchanan about how she has approached the Govett-Brewster collection, asking questions about power and examining the history of society through visual arts.

A realist painter inspired by the natural world, Jodi Calkin is showing work in the Emerging Artists gallery at Access Radio Taranaki 104.4 FM in TopTown Ngāmotu / New Plymouth until the end of December.

“Poetry, despite its cute, cotton-socks image, is a tough art form,” says James Brown, judge of the poetry section of the 2019 Ronald Hugh Morrieson awards. In this episode, James' thoughts on how to write a great poem, and the winning poems from this years' awards.

This week's show is the second in our series on emerging artists and features Waitara based painter Rubi Riot who fills in the stories behind her colourful layered paintings and assemblages that vary wildly in style and scale

“Writing offers the writer a way of shaping their existence, and passing on value. It helps people identify with others, and shapes a community by voicing hopes, ideals and realities. We are richer for hearing these stories, and our community is richer for gathering them.”

Those are the words of celebrated librarian and organiser of the Ronald Hugh Morrieson Awards, Pam Jones. In today’s episode, hear this year's winning research article and short stories, with comments and writing tips from judges, Dame Fiona Kidman and Matt Rilkoff.