Seven Arrowtown art galleries are opening late on the same night next month for the inaugural ‘Art Before Dark’.
It’s a spinoff of Queenstown’s First Thursdays initiative, which currently spans five CBD galleries.
Arrowtown Creative Arts Society committee member Julian Knights, who helped to launch the Queenstown event last year, was inspired by a
Mountain Scene profile of Arrowtown sculptor Fiona Garlick, who suggested her town could do its own thing.
He says he also thought of the idea last year, till Covid killed it, ‘‘then after reading the Scene article I thought, ‘let’s do it’.
‘‘So I went and spoke to the galleries and they all said ‘good’.’’
Art Before Dark will run on December 14 from 5.30 till 7pm at Nadene Milne Gallery (NMG), Astor Bristed Gallery, Fiona Garlick Gallery & Studio, Birdwoods Gallery, Bonham Gallery, The Gallery by Eric Nauta and Lakes District Museum and Gallery.
‘‘I think it’s really exciting for a really small community that we’ve got such high-quality and such diverse art experiences people can enjoy,’’ Knights says.
‘‘It’s almost perfectly made for Arrowtown — you can literally walk from Fiona’s [sculpture gallery] to the other end of town in five minutes, and there’s plenty of bars along the way.’’
Each gallery will offer a glass of wine and a chance for people to enjoy the art on display, and learn about the artists, in a relaxed way.
In addition, there’ll be artist talks at Birdwoods (5.15pm), and Fiona Garlick Gallery & Studio (6.15pm), while La Rumbla restaurant’s creating a signature cocktail for art lovers.
If the night’s successful, Knights hopes it’ll become a regular event.
Meanwhile, Queenstown’s First Thursdays resumes in January after a short break.
