But That Was Ages Ago!
Yeah it totally was. I'm a sloooooow writer but I still wanted to write about it, and this blog post about the Bad As 6 Women's Weightlifting Competition in Wellington was getting way too long. Some more Wellington coolness below.
Quoil Gallery
I want to give a shout out to the best Contemporary Jewellery Gallery in Wellington - Quoil Gallery, run by the Aotearoa Jewellery legend Phillipa Gee. On the Friday afternoon on our drifting around Central Wellington I hauled Mel and Veronica in to the Gallery to see where my ambitions lie. They were patient with the little fits of excitement I had with seeing every display box and opening every drawer, full of imaginative pieces of tricks and dreams that percolate out of artist jeweller's studios around New Zealand. I was chuffed to see some of my stone necklaces up in one of the main display boxes.
The Dowse
Loved catching up with my cuz Prue at the Dowse in Lower Hutt on the Sunday after the Bad As 6. Mel, her and I had a hot lemon and ginger drink at the cafe and then immersed ourselves in art. Bronwynne Cornish has a large collection of good natured ceramics on display in Mudlark. We puzzled out the huge folded cardboard Pou (marker post) contemporary Maori artist Reweti Arapere made called Rangimatua, and were humoured by the quirky, wistful works in Cut + Paste: The Practice of Collage.
The Dowse Art Museum is a hero institution to Contemporary Jewellers in New Zealand. The Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa has done their job by collecting and displaying contemporary jewellery, but The Dowse champions it. They have a significant collection of culturally prominent neckwear, much of which is currently on display in The Bold and the Beautiful exhibition.
I almost teared up seeing some of the classic pieces of modern New Zealand Jewellery. These objects are dramatic, engaging artworks by themselves, but have meaning in a much wider context than as art pieces in a museum.
I almost teared up seeing some of the classic pieces of modern New Zealand Jewellery. These objects are dramatic, engaging artworks by themselves, but have meaning in a much wider context than as art pieces in a museum.
If New Zealand Contemporary Jewellery was a coastline, these pieces would be the headlands. They jut out as landmarks, significant in the practice of the artists and as cultural markers. When I'm plodding along the beach of my own practice, head down, picking through the sand and pebbles, I look up and recognise this jewellery. I aspire to be as substantial as an artist as the makers of these pieces. Seeing their work gives me hope that I can.
CrossFit FRF
It was Queen's Birthday Holiday on the Monday, and we had to be at the airport 11am. CrossFit FRF (Functional Results Fitness) had a class at 9am and are close to the airport so Mel and I packed all our stuff and went. They've got a nice big gym with good facilities. Gerard and Jane were coaching that day. The workout was here on their whiteboard >> |
I chose to half-arse the workout - I jogged the runs, swung the kettlebell calmly and my only real effort was doing all the pull up sets unbroken. In hindsight, I would have been better sitting on the mat and mobilising seeing as I was sick, but just couldn't bring myself to miss out. They are a friendly bunch of people with a wide range of fitness levels, but everybody (except me) was going hard out at a level suited for them.
Gerard took us through some stretching and the end of the workout. He was doing a downward-dog stretch with both feet and hands on the ground, and this random wee kid ran up and climbed up onto his back! It was super cute and proof that this is a relaxed, family-friendly environment. People told us afterwards that Gerard often watches the little kids at one end of the gym while parents do the Mums and Bubs classes, and that's why this wee guy thinks that Gerard is a climbing frame!
We took a photo with the CrossFit FRF crew, as CrossFitters do when they are travelling, and the very kind Kirsty (front row, second from right) gave us a ride to the airport on her way home.
Gerard took us through some stretching and the end of the workout. He was doing a downward-dog stretch with both feet and hands on the ground, and this random wee kid ran up and climbed up onto his back! It was super cute and proof that this is a relaxed, family-friendly environment. People told us afterwards that Gerard often watches the little kids at one end of the gym while parents do the Mums and Bubs classes, and that's why this wee guy thinks that Gerard is a climbing frame!
We took a photo with the CrossFit FRF crew, as CrossFitters do when they are travelling, and the very kind Kirsty (front row, second from right) gave us a ride to the airport on her way home.
Do you love Wellington too? What do you think I should do and see next time I'm there?