In episode #12 of a conversation series with galleries and artists that help make the Cuba Street area dynamic, Mark Amery heads to the iconic creative enterprise Hunters and Collectors, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary with an exhibition of works inspired by the leather jacket. Mark speaks to owner and curator Christina O and the curator of Love My Leather Jacket Bob Buck, with fellow artist Suzanne Tamaki. It’s on until August 3 The full series of 14 interviews with galleries and their artists is being filmed and distributed via social media over June and July. You can go here on the CubaDupa website to read more and see all the videos. Videos are being posted to CubaDupa and ArtExplore social media channels as they are rolled out. Curators of Cuba: presented by CubaDupa and ArtExplore. Produced by Mark Amery for the Wellington Independent Arts Trust. Videography by Oscar Keys and Shyam Patel. Music: Pashtag. With major funding from the Wellington City Council and galleries.

In episode #13 of a conversation series with galleries and artists that help make the Cuba Street area dynamic, Suzanne Tamaki heads to Left Bank off Cuba Mall to the fabulous Roar!, a not-for-profit exhibition space supporting artists from Pablos Art Studios with limited access to traditional dealer galleries. In the collective spirit of Pablos, Suzanne speaks to gallery manager Mel Upjohn, volunteer Jolyn Wills and artists Soraya Xe, Paul Holmes and Andrea Penrice about some of the work they produced during Lockdown. As Suzanne notes Roar! And Pablos are in fundraising mode for their crucial services. Visit! Support! The full series of 14 interviews with galleries and their artists is being filmed and distributed via social media over June and July. You can go here on the CubaDupa website to read more and see all the videos. Videos are being posted to CubaDupa and ArtExplore social media channels as they are rolled out. Curators of Cuba: presented by CubaDupa and ArtExplore. Produced by Mark Amery for the Wellington Independent Arts Trust. Videography by Oscar Keys and Shyam Patel. Music: Pashtag. With major funding from the Wellington City Council and galleries.

In episode #14 of a conversation series with galleries and artists that help make the Cuba Street area dynamic, Suzanne Tamaki meets dealer Dylan Potocki with his gallery upstairs on Dixon Street, and painter Shelley Masters whose exhibition The Distance Between Us is on until 1 September, You can go to ‘Curators of Cuba’ on the CubaDupa website to read more and see all the videos. Videos are being posted to CubaDupa and ArtExplore social media channels as they are rolled out. Curators of Cuba: presented by CubaDupa and ArtExplore. Produced by Mark Amery for the Wellington Independent Arts Trust. Videography by Oscar Keys and Shyam Patel. Music: Pashtag. With major funding from the Wellington City Council and galleries.

Mark Amery, ArtExplore Guide, organised Curators of Cuba for Cuba Dupa Festival. this was cancelled because of the Covid 19 Lock Down. This is his response to being locked down – creating an on line version that will last in perpetuity.

Today, June 11, 2020 sees the launch of Curators of Cuba an online programme of interviews with the galleries of the Cuba Street precinct of Wellington and some of the artists that populate them. These will be shared online over June and July through the CubaDupa and Artexplore channels, encouraging the public back into the capital and celebrating the work of some of the nation’s art wheelers and dealers.

The programme has been presented with the assistance of Wellington Independent Arts Trust, with funding from Wellington City Council, Artexplore and at least a dozen participating art spaces.

Curators of Cuba was due to be launched as part of the Cubadupa street festival as a weekend roving discussion series in late March. With the support of council and the Trust, it has now been expanded as a documentary conversation project, available to all online.

From veteran galleries on the strip like McLeavey and Bowen Galleries, to newer-comers like Mossman and Robert Heald; from public spaces like Toi Poneke to new art spaces in retail like Precinct35, the series explores the dynamic work being done by creative businesses. Artists include well-known names like Ans Westra, Dane Mitchell, Peter Trevelyan and Shona Rapira Davies, but equally introduce you to many newcomers. The conversations are led by writer Pip Adam, artist Suzanne Tamaki and curator and writer Mark Amery, with videography by Oscar Keys.

The Cuba Street area is home to a large concentration of galleries, private and public,” says producer Mark Amery. “I often take Artexplore tour groups to them, and many people are surprised they even exist. The public don’t always have the confidence to cross the threshold, or get the chance to appreciate what remarkable work these galleries do on behalf of our artists.

With thanks to Cuba Dupa for the text http://www.cubdupa.co.nz

Curators of Cuba | Episode 1 : Bowen Galleries with Shona Rapira-Davies

https://www.bowengalleries.co.nz/

In episode #1 of a filmed conversation series with the galleries and artists that help make Cuba Street, Te Aro, Wellington area as dynamic as it is, Pip Adam talks to artist Shona Rapira-Davies and gallerists Jenny Nelligan and Penney Moir of Bowen Galleries. As Jenny and Shona relate, Bowen began with some good stories in Bowen Street itself back in 1981 and has been representing many fine artists since. Shona Rapira Davies speaks of her relationship to the gallery and introduces exhibition There are no bees in my garden (8 April – 14 June 2020).

Join Mark Mary or Mary Jane Duffy on the Walk & Talk an art precinct, every second Saturday in Wellington. See the Gallery Tours page: https://artexplore.co.nz/tours/wellington-walk-talk-art-precinct-fortnightlywalk-talk-wellington-art-precinct-fortnightly/