Gisborne Report December - February - 2026
Jean Johnstone
We have had exhibitions, awards and a special team building printmaking time. Gisborne Printmakers are currently involved in a number of local group exhibitions leading up to the festive season. One of these is our popular Pop-Up Print Sale in early December at Lysnar House Studios. We will also arrange a display of many of the 10x10 prints we now own. What a brilliantly organised exchange and a huge thanks to Nicki Francis and her team. Our recently successful Small Prints Show attracted many viewers and interest in printmaking processes, and again was promoted well in our local Gisborne Herald and in the online Gizzy News.
Some of our members have recently been awarded national and local accolades. Mel Tahata’s design was awarded a gold medal at the recent New Zealand Sign and Display Association Awards. Lily Paris West’s design proposal to bring colour to Gisborne’s city centre in the Art in the City initiative was approved. Ruth Helmling was awarded this year’s Gary Tricker Scholarship to attend the Summer School. Jean Johnston’s citation on her recent Citizen’s Civic Award shows her long association with Gisborne Printmakers.
Many of us had a wonderful printmaking day when we were invited to Rangiwaho Marae just outside Gisborne. Two of our members have had a significant input into the design and decoration of this newly built, energy sustainable marae complex. Group member and Toihoukura student, Ihipera Wakataka spoke about her post graduate exhibition in the meeting house, and we printed up a monoprint storm in the small studio workspace nearby.