Art Escape Opens

Over 150 gathered at Hot Waves Café, Hot Water Beach for the opening of the 2023 Art Escape last Friday evening, 3 March.

It was a very relaxed, yet colourful and classy event, comfortably crowding the Hot Waves outdoor garden restaurant.

Stuart Christie, the Chairman of Art Escape, thanked people and spoke of what had been a turbulent past 18 months with covid preventing a 2022 Open Studios, a period of rebuilding of their website and changes in personnel and presentation of Art Escape. But he also spoke of the increase in the number of artists and the variety of studios available this 2023 Art Escape, affirming the Mercury Bay area and indeed the Coromandel Peninsula for its rich endowment of artisits exhibiting creatively and with excellence, in so many expressions of media.

Chris Bayley and Shaun Patterson of Bayleys were there representing their Company and community as the major Sponsors of the Art Escape. All the sponsors were thanked and enjoyed, along with everyone else, the atmosphere, the fine food and the fact that nearly everyone wore name tags. Gardening celebrity and author, Lynda Hallinan, was the guest speaker, and charmed the gathering, sharing her own journey in a different kind of art - inspiring kiwi households in terms of their gardens.

This coming Art Escape second weekend,

Saturday, 11 and Sunday, 12 March, all the studios are available for you to visit, browse and buy - Tairua, Whenuakite, Coroglen, Hahei, Cooks Beach, Whitianga, Kuaotunu, Rings Beach, Opito Bay, Matarangi. The Showcase Exhibition at Hot Waves Cafe continues until 11 April.