Life Members: Shona Byars, Pip McAuley (an original founding member) Margaret Bryant, and Kaylene Davidson. Insert: Gladys Booth (absent).
Since 1976, Waikaka Arts & Crafts has provided a wide range of cultural activities for Eastern Southland and West Otago residents.
Our history
The inaugural meeting of Waikaka Arts & Crafts was held on July 5th, 1976 when 19 locals decided to form a group fostering arts and crafts in the Waikaka community. It would provide a gathering place where we could meet and enjoy shared interests. Office bearers were elected and among the usual rules in forming a club, it was decided christian names only and no gossip to be discussed.
The initial subscription was set at $10 to provide a start-up fund. We were fortunate to be able to rent the old shop on the main street, owned by Bill Sutherland, at a nominal rate and set about making it a usable space. Pottery was the first craft demonstrated and shortly after a pottery wheel was obtained. Tables and chairs were donated including a large table gifted from the old Gore Hospital, and welcome monetary assistance from Waikaka Women’s Division and the Variety Club.
The first pre-Christmas sale held on 10th December 1976 was a huge success with cakes, produce, raffles and of course crafts on offer. Local farmers were invited to enter a ‘fleece of wool’ competition with prizes for best fine wool, best strong wool and the Golden Fleece. School children entered a poster competition; and so began the Arts & Crafts night which grew into the Arts & Crafts Exhibition still held annually.
For the first few years this was held in the Arts & Crafts Centre building, but as its success grew we shifted to the Waikaka Hall and quickly expanded our exhibition to fit the space. This allowed us to have room to display the works of many invited guest exhibitors from all over the country.
In 1977 a proposed visit by Southland Polytechnic staff held in conjunction with the Riversdale Arts & Crafts group, provided the impetus for classes offering pottery and glazing, weaving, macrame, leather craft, spinning and dried flower arranging. It was agreed we apply for any available grants from those organisations offering monetary support such as the QE II Arts Council and a variety of local Trust Boards.
The installation of a kiln, repairs to the lighting and heating systems and a basic kitchen bench, zip etc. were urgently needed. To assist with covering these costs a number of members made long-term loans to the club to be reimbursed at a later stage. With all these things in place and a wide variety of arts and crafts on offer each term we felt a need to hang a sign advertising our existence to all who passed through our town - Waikaka Arts & Crafts Centre.
Other classes on offer included cane work, farm accounting, italic writing, tatting and crocheting, screen printing, painting, patchwork, upholstery, landscaping, batik, machine knitting, candle making, soap making, bread making, photography, cake icing, bonsai tree growing, the share market, floral art and more!
Wherever possible a local tutor was arranged and so it remained a hub for a diverse range of arts & crafts courses and weekend workshops. For many years members would decide on a theme for the annual exhibition and the Waikaka Hall would be turned into anything from a Parisian night scene, a walk in the forest, through the looking glass, monopoly, all at sea, a mediterranean delight, a beach scene and more.
As funds would allow a variety of paraphernalia was acquired for display purposes such as stands and display boxes, but one of the best purchases would have to be the railing system for displaying pictures/ paintings etc. as this had always been a time consuming and frustrating part of setting up the exhibition each year.
A new lighting system in the Hall, funded by the group, has also been a tremendous asset at exhibition time. Each annual exhibition has highlighted the enormous talents of so many diverse arts & crafters, many returning in subsequent years and travelling to enjoy our opening night, a Wine & Cheese & nibbles evening.
Office bearers have changed over the years but a constant has always been the camaraderie and dedication shown by members each year at exhibition time as they work towards another memorable exhibition.
The initial subscription was set at $10 to provide a start-up fund. We were fortunate to be able to rent the old shop on the main street, owned by Bill Sutherland, at a nominal rate and set about making it a usable space. Pottery was the first craft demonstrated and shortly after a pottery wheel was obtained. Tables and chairs were donated including a large table gifted from the old Gore Hospital, and welcome monetary assistance from Waikaka Women’s Division and the Variety Club.
The first pre-Christmas sale held on 10th December 1976 was a huge success with cakes, produce, raffles and of course crafts on offer. Local farmers were invited to enter a ‘fleece of wool’ competition with prizes for best fine wool, best strong wool and the Golden Fleece. School children entered a poster competition; and so began the Arts & Crafts night which grew into the Arts & Crafts Exhibition still held annually.
For the first few years this was held in the Arts & Crafts Centre building, but as its success grew we shifted to the Waikaka Hall and quickly expanded our exhibition to fit the space. This allowed us to have room to display the works of many invited guest exhibitors from all over the country.
In 1977 a proposed visit by Southland Polytechnic staff held in conjunction with the Riversdale Arts & Crafts group, provided the impetus for classes offering pottery and glazing, weaving, macrame, leather craft, spinning and dried flower arranging. It was agreed we apply for any available grants from those organisations offering monetary support such as the QE II Arts Council and a variety of local Trust Boards.
The installation of a kiln, repairs to the lighting and heating systems and a basic kitchen bench, zip etc. were urgently needed. To assist with covering these costs a number of members made long-term loans to the club to be reimbursed at a later stage. With all these things in place and a wide variety of arts and crafts on offer each term we felt a need to hang a sign advertising our existence to all who passed through our town - Waikaka Arts & Crafts Centre.
Other classes on offer included cane work, farm accounting, italic writing, tatting and crocheting, screen printing, painting, patchwork, upholstery, landscaping, batik, machine knitting, candle making, soap making, bread making, photography, cake icing, bonsai tree growing, the share market, floral art and more!
Wherever possible a local tutor was arranged and so it remained a hub for a diverse range of arts & crafts courses and weekend workshops. For many years members would decide on a theme for the annual exhibition and the Waikaka Hall would be turned into anything from a Parisian night scene, a walk in the forest, through the looking glass, monopoly, all at sea, a mediterranean delight, a beach scene and more.
As funds would allow a variety of paraphernalia was acquired for display purposes such as stands and display boxes, but one of the best purchases would have to be the railing system for displaying pictures/ paintings etc. as this had always been a time consuming and frustrating part of setting up the exhibition each year.
A new lighting system in the Hall, funded by the group, has also been a tremendous asset at exhibition time. Each annual exhibition has highlighted the enormous talents of so many diverse arts & crafters, many returning in subsequent years and travelling to enjoy our opening night, a Wine & Cheese & nibbles evening.
Office bearers have changed over the years but a constant has always been the camaraderie and dedication shown by members each year at exhibition time as they work towards another memorable exhibition.
