About & Description

Tucked away in studios all over the Mangawhai region are painters, photographers, jewellery makers, wood carvers, sculptors, weavers, and other artists.

The Mangawhai artists group originated in 2002 and was instigated by Joy Agar and Sue Blinco. Local artists staged an annual art trail in conjunction with the Mangawhai Walking Weekend, held in early autumn. Since then the group has evolved into a much larger group run by a committee of volunteers, and is now registered as an Incorporated Society with a membership of around 120 artists and many supportive 'friends.'(2017).Mangawhai Artists Incorporated. We have continued to run an art trail each year, now held at Easter weekend .Our members,solo or in groups run independent art exhibitions which change fortnightly ( over the warmer months, with forward bookings already a year ahead! ) Members regularly sell and demonstrate their craft around the Kaipara region. With Dargaville Arts Association and an independent committee, we also assist with the annual Kaipara Art Awards. We have established a website which not only promotes the group’s activities but allows each member to have their own web page or link to their independent website. This is currently being updated to keep up with new technology,(April/17)and allow easier access. A series of development workshops have been staged here in Mangawhai to assist our members in marketing their work. We currently organise workshops during the winter season, demonstrating different techniques, lead by professional artists, suitable for beginners to experienced artists. Our intention is to fully support the artistic community throughout the year, by providing our own gallery at reasonable cost for members to hold their own and group exhibitions,as well as organising various events for members to participate in.This also helps promote Mangawhai as the vibrant artistic region it is. Our group represents a wide range of artists from the professional level to hobbyist. It is our intention to promote each and every individual to their chosen level, whilst also providing a supportive technical and social network. We welcome new members - contact us [email protected] for a Membership Application.