It is time to Meet the Maker

Waitaki’s varied and vibrant artistic community will open the doors of their studios and craft spaces to the public this Labour Weekend, for Meet the Maker. 

In its third year running, the programme has seen the number of participating artists and craftspeople grow to 36, from 16 when it first ran as a Fenwick School fundraiser. 

This year, Waitaki District Council placemaking lead Cyndi Christensen is making an effort to utilise empty retail space by helping to find a weekend home for local artists Yvonne Gillespie and Annie Hampstead. 

The two women will have a pop-up gallery at the former One Property Agency building on the corner of Ōamaru’s Coquet and Thames St, on the Saturday and Sunday between 10am and 4pm.

“Art is a great way to bring vibrancy to the heart of Thames Street,” Cyndi said. “It has been great to collaborate with property owners and artists to reinvent this space for the Meet the Maker weekend.

“We are pleased to pilot this collaborative approach towards filling vacant spaces in our CBD, and look forward to working with other property owners, artists, community groups and business start-ups to bring new life to some of Oamaru’s vacant spaces.” 

One Property Agency agent Alan McClay applauds the initiative by the council to promote and encourage use of the empty spaces in the town centre. 

“We live in a great town and any efforts to bring life especially to the Main Street empty shops has to be good,” he said. 

Full details of Meet the Maker 2023, part of this year’s Waitaki Arts Festival, can be found here on the Waitaki App or Waitaki District Council website, and by looking out for the pink signs outside artists' studios.