Cyberauction of New Zealand Craft Art

A Treasury of New Zealand Craft Resources
Nga Taonga a Hine-te-iwa-iwa
http://auction.glazier.co.nz

A Cyberauction is planned for Tuesday July 28th from 5.30pm to
8.30pm New Zealand Time (12hrs ahead of GMT).

Over 80 art works created by New Zealand’s finest crafts people
are to be auctioned through the website
http://auction.glazier.co.nz.

Proceeds from the Cyber Auction will be devoted to establishing
a rich resource collection on craft and craft artists in Aotearoa
New Zealand. Thi s will mean for the first time there will be an
independent national cultural institution that will guarantee
permanent conservation of artists’ records and continuous
promotion of their work and up to date enabling them
to take part in the global scene.

Since 1992, when the New Zealand Crafts Council ceased to exist,
there has been no centralised craft service. Nga
Taonga a Hine-te-iwa-iwa is to be the new national home, Internet
library and vital resource base fo r New Zealand’s crafts people.

The website http://www.craftinfo.org.nz/ contains information
about, and images of craft artists’ works from over 150 New
Zealanders. The present development of our website is such that
it will dramatically extend the ran ge of and services
that the Craft Resource Centre will be able to offer the craft
artist community as well as their teaching centres, galleri es and
suppliers.

The main Auction evening event is to be held in the Banqueting
Hall at New Zealand’s Parliament House in Wellington. Speaker of
the House Doug Kidd wi ll host it. Auction parties will also be
held simultaneously in other New Zealand cities; Whangarei,
Auckland, Napier, Wanganui, Wellington, Nelson, and Christchurch.
All networked via the Net.

Register to bid or watch the bidding happen through the website
http://auction.glazier.co.nz. For further please
contact Project Co-ordinator Jessica Dawson dowse@xtra.co.nz

Nga Taonga a Hine-te-iwa-iwa

Once this was a land of great birds and great trees.

Human kind stood first upon these shores because of astonishing
feats and seamanship. Those early Pacific migrants must have
marveled at the splendor and abundance that greeted them.

Generations of craftspeople honed their ancient skills to fashion
from new m aterials objects of great utility and beauty. Maori men
realised technologies to carve wood and fashion stone for tools,
weapons, buildings and adornment. Maori women developed ingenious
skills with fibrous plant materials, creating baskets, mats and
some of the beautiful garments ever made.

These special Maori makers always respected the materials they
worked with, paying particular homage to the goddess,
Hine-te-iwa-iwa to embody her radiance in their craft and so
enhance their worldly lives.

In 1997 New Zealand craft artists, whoever they are, continue to
make beautiful things couched in the traditions of their
ancestors, but with a contemporary presence.

Brian

B r i a n A d a m J e w e l l e r y E y e w e a r
http://www.adam.co.nz/ NEW ZEALAND