Taupo Report June - August 2026
Sally-Ann Davies
Sadly, we have had to say farewell to another Plateau Printmaker, as Heather MacDonald has recently moved up to Auckland. Just another reason to visit Auckland. The rest of us have been busy. Marion Bright and Jacquie recently braved the misty rain to soak up the ambience out at Waihora Lagoon in Pureora Forest Park. They were busy gathering creative ideas for the upcoming Hawkes Bay exhibition, Wetlands, which runs from 29 June to 11 July at Arts Inc - Heretaunga in Hastings.
Marion and Jacquie Goldsmith braving the weather for inspiration
King's Birthday weekend marks open studio time in Taupō. Marion will be a guest artist at Jacquie Goldsmith's beautiful JG Studio, located at 75 Kurupae Road, Taupō. It is open from Saturday 30 May to Monday 1 June, and if you are in the vicinity, do call in—the studio itself is well worth a visit and will be showcasing a wonderful variety of artwork, including ceramics, printmaking, painting, drawing, and woodturning.
Marion has also been invited alongside 44 other artists to participate in A Glimpse of Abstraction at ArtsPost in Hamilton. Curated by Dr Carole Shepheard, this exhibition opens on Saturday 13 June at 1:00 pm, with a panel discussion to follow at 3:00 pm. We hope to see some of you there!
We also have some exciting international news from Maggie Dawson, who has been enjoying a Parallel Print get-together in Scotland. Maggie joined Deb Wing at the Benmore Botanic Gardens to view an exhibition of Deb’s work, alongside a selection of pieces by those who have participated in the Parallel Print Programme that Deb started during lockdown. Throughout the week, they will be printing 10x10 reduction linocuts together for an exchange and spending a day bookbinding.
Maggie Dawson and Deb Wing in Scotland
Maggie notes that the support and inspiration from this group has been absolutely wonderful. If you would be interested in learning more about the programme, you can contact her at maggie.dawson1@gmail.com.
Finally, Sally-Ann Davies' printmaking has taken a different twist. Her latest collaborative exhibition ‘The Language Of Wood” at Arts Inc - Heretaunga came about with three Taupō artists joining forces to create a body of work centred entirely around the medium of wood. The show beautifully blends Sally-Ann's woodcut prints and blocks with Jodie's pyrography and Angela's creative woodturning. If you didn't get a chance to see it during its run in Hastings, it will be coming to Taupō from mid-August to the end of September.