Heritage Destination, Art Gallery and Artisan Shop

Jane Venis | A Little Bit of Pāua Goes a Long Way | June 6th - June 28th. 
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Jane Venis is an artist, musician, luthier of bespoke instruments, an academic and an educator. Her practice inhabits the intersection between visual arts, sound and live performance. Jane frequently collaborates with others notably long time collaborator, Dunedin artist, Hannah Joynt. Jane's work has immediate appeal, is packed with whimsy and fun while also engaging in brave commentary on political and environmental themes, inviting conversation with audiences. 

In this exhibition Jane repurposes refuse and brings this together with treasure and trinket to create a colourful and furry band of bespoke instruments. Featuring frying pans and hub caps repurposed for banjo resonators, beautiful pāua transformed into thumb pianos and mandolins, and a hairy possum suit juxtaposed with gilded paua inlays which decorate a central piece, the drumkit.  This colourful show opens with a live performance by Jane’s band who will be playing the instruments on display. It will be a joyous and heartwarming show to see in for the shortest day of the year, when a cosy fire and a good knees up with friends is music for the soul.

Jane's opening event included a live perforce by her band members, who played Jane's instruments made for the exhibition.