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| Some of the creative art space |
I was able to spend significant time with the people at Pablos and Vincents art spaces here in downtown Wellington this week. These are two of the longest running creative art workshop spaces in New Zealand. Pablos is dedicated to providing creative art opportunities to people who have experience of mental illness, and Vincent's is just celebrating it's 25th year welcomes all community members, but is especially supportive of people with mental illness experience. Vincent's offers a life drawing session two evenings each week, and I am in hopes of sitting in soon. Next week will mark my official welcome and introduction to Vincents, when the director will host my visit.
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| This is Chris who works as an art tutor at Pablo's Art Workshop and is here pictured in the Roar Gallery |
I was impressed with the art piece just behind Chris's right shoulder with "no" brushed in on the black background. It struck me as 'white no'ies', with probably 2000 no's and frequent "X"s.
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| Galen, who is the director of Pablos. Pablos is a creative art space dedicated to people who have a mental illness. |
Pablos is a great space for exploring creative interests for people who have experience of mental illness. They are dedicated to providing most materials and space use to its members free of charge. I was welcomed without the benefit of an official introduction. Chris opened up the gallery for me and was more than happy to explain the Roar Gallery's role within the Pablos' experience. Above you can see Chris with a few examples of the art produced by Pablos' members. I was lucky enough to get to talk with several of the members, some who have enjoyed and benefitted from Pablos' program for several years. One man was a former graphic design artist who was exploring and developing his skills in the studio space. He had recently challenged himself to "stretch" by painting "outside the lines", an approach very much foreign to his orientation of tight controls in his graphic design background. He was beaming with a smile that had satisfaction running from ear to ear dispute the lack of control his drippy acrylics was confronting him with. Another fellow was proud to tell me of his partnership with an Australian art dealer who sells some of pieces outside of New Zealand. My visit at Pablos was punctuated with the very gracious welcome by its director, Ms. Galen, who was more than happy to discuss the challenges of keeping a community art space like Pablos in operation for the past twenty years. I am looking forward to returning to the art scene of Pablos and Vincents.
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| The official poster for the half-hour radio show that invited me to sit in. |
click here: to hear the March 27th show
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| The studio session in action with Brendon and Dan from The A Team, a Pathways and Social Angels supported program |
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| Two cool guys who entertain weekly on the radio waves of 783am, All Access Radio |
Brendon was keen to meet this New England Yankee from America. One of his big dreams was to have his own radio show and he has done it with the support of New Zealand's Social Angels, and the people at Pathways, like Daniel Crozier, who provides the technical support for Brendon to be able to enjoy and thrive in his radio role each week.
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| BRENDON: ON the AIR and LIVE! 783am radio New Zealand |
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| Local message at the sustainable and renewable housing fair this past weekend in Paraparaumu |
Above is Saba, who recently moved to Wellington with her fiancé from the Canadian Maritimes. In talking with her I learned that her fiancé, Doug, has an art and design background and she thought he would be interested in getting connected with the art spaces I had just visited in the last two days. Doug would like to get involved as a tutor, or otherwise provide some type of support. Doug has now connected with me via email and we will meet early next week so that I can help get him connected to Wellington's creative art spaces that support strengthening the voice and expression of people with experience of mental illness.
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