Bay of Islands Creative

Bay of Islands Creative Bay of Islands Creative is an exciting and collaborative concept to help bring the artistic communit

15/06/2025

🎨 KOAST – Tai Tokerau Art Trail 2025 – The Creative Energy Has Begun!

Studios across Tai Tokerau are already alive with colour, texture and inspiration.
Artists are painting, potting, glassblowing, weaving, photographing, making jewellery and much much more— all preparing for the 2025 KOAST - the Tai Tokerau Art Trail this Labour Weekend (24–27 October).

Whether you're a visitor planning your art trail adventure — or an artist thinking about joining — now’s the time to get excited.

Art lovers can look forward to four days of discovery, connection, and creativity — meeting artists in their studios, seeing work in progress, and exploring the Far North through an artistic lens.

Artists, if you live and work in the Mid or Far North, you’re invited to be part of this incredible event — whether you're working from your own studio or exhibiting in a collective space.

🗓️ Registrations are open now. Send us your registration form and fees by 10 July.

🔗 koast.org.nz/join-koast

Let the creative countdown begin!

15/06/2025

Where Photography Becomes Painting

Rebecca King’s fine art photography captures delicate, silent moments — inspired by symbolism, folklore, and the natural world. From whimsical stories to painterly botanicals, each image is an invitation to pause, feel, and dream.

Originally a painter, Rebecca transitioned to photography in 2018, discovering a way to “paint with light.” Her intuitive approach blends layering and experimentation, resulting in works that sit beautifully between photography and fine art.

📍 See Rebecca’s work on the KOAST 2025 trail this Labour Weekend
🌐 koast.org.nz
✉️ [email protected]


15/06/2025

MID & FAR NORTH ARTISTS – JOIN IN!

Planning is well underway for KOAST – Tai Tokerau Art Trail 2025!

🗓️ Dates: It’s fantastic to already see so many artists showing interest — great for the region and our creative community. This year’s Trail runs Friday 24 – Monday 27 October (Labour Weekend), giving visitors a full four days to explore studios, galleries and collective hubs.

📍 Area: KOAST welcomed artists from across Tai Tokerau in 2023, and we’re continuing to keep it open to the full region — from Hokianga to Doubtless Bay, Kaitaia to Kerikeri, and everywhere in between. Whether you're exhibiting in your own studio or as part of a hub or gallery, we’d love you to be involved.

👩‍🎨 We’re lucky to have such amazing talent in the Far North — and one of the things that makes KOAST special is that visitors get to see artists at work. If you've ever wondered how art is made, this is where the magic happens!

🖼️ Ways to Take Part – Categories for 2025:
• Artist in Studio – You have a working studio where you create most of your work and can welcome visitors
• Artist in Shared Space – You’ll exhibit in a collective hub organised specifically for KOAST
• Exhibition Space or Gallery – This includes:
- Established galleries open year-round, showcasing mostly local art during the Trail
- Art societies or clubs that support local artists across the region

If you’re a visual artist living and working in our district, we’d love you to be part of KOAST – Tai Tokerau Art Trail.

📌 Registrations and fees are due by 10 July to be included in the official 2025 Trail Guide.

Here's the link: https://koast.org.nz/join-koast

Address

394B Kerikeri Road
Kerikeri
0230

Telephone

09 407 1311

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Artistic Strength

The Far North, including the Bay of Islands, has traditionally been well known for its artistic strength and the wide range of galleries and studios open for tourists and locals to visit. Over the years due to various influences, the number of galleries has severely dwindled as have art based events overall.

Bay of Islands Creative is an exciting and collaborative year round concept to help bring the artistic community around the Far North region together while encouraging greater tourist numbers to the area.

The concept was first discussed by the KOAST committee during 2018 as a way of supporting, encouraging and promoting the arts in this region to a greater level.

Bay of Islands Creative will act as an over arching banner under which many events and activities could be held. It will involve, on a collaborative basis, the entire region’s art community and include art in its widest meaning – painting, sculpture, jewellery, illustration, carving, ceramics, photography, music, culture, print-making, fibre, pottery and more.