Gallery De Novo in Dunedin is hosting my first solo show through until 4 July 2024. 'Softly' is a soft, blurry wander through Dunedin - from the Botanical Gardens to the Harbour and beach, and including the city's streets by nightfall.
Dunedin as an art subject
Dunedin is a magical city to explore bokeh within - its hills and Harbour create stunning vistas, the gardens were captured in full bloom and the streets are glowing jewel boxes through my blurry camera lens.
Opening Night
On Friday night the Gallery hosted an opening event attended by a good number of collectors and art enthusiasts, alongside some friends and family. In my last blog post I discussed some of the ways I could expect the event to be successful - and I'm pleased to report I can tick off all the measures.
I was particularly pleased with the opportunity to meet people who had bought my work through the gallery - both from this show and previously exhibited pieces - whom I would not otherwise have a chance to chat with.
My favourite tip for future exhibitions
The event photographer was Amanda Konijn, and I can confirm that having a dedicated photographer at your event opening is the best idea ever. It's too much to expect to take your own photographs, you'll probably/hopefully be too busy talking and it's nice to have some pics that you're in alongside your guests!
Sales of pieces in the Softly exhibition started well, with about half sold at the time of writing this blog post. They're available online if you'd like to check them out.
Some thank yous
My thanks to everyone who attended on Friday. This particular part of Dunedin was unusually busy with a midwinter carnival on the same street so traffic was nightmarish and parking even worse - this made attendance at the opening a larger effort than normal, but one that I certainly appreciated. Thanks also to the lovely team at Gallery De Novo who have made the whole experience so supportive and enjoyable.
I'd love to hear from you if you've been along - you could pop a comment below or email me: mel@thepennydropsart.co.nz.
x Mel