6th September 2015 - New Zealand Father's Day

 Father's Day brought lots of people into Mokaba, the cafe 

next to The BACH and then many would wander around

the Art Gallery stopping to see the Whangarei Community 

Tapestry Project.  It was a busy day for our two hostesses!

Naoko and Jill were on hand to help visitors have a
go at weaving and to explain the process to them.

Linda Etwell has a go at weaving while Jill,

(back) one of our volunteer weaver's, explains

 tapestry weaving to one of Linda and her 

husband's international students who is staying 

with them while studying here in New Zealand.

Trinidad Wendt (above) is from Chile and said the

 tapestry project was amazing and was glad she had 

the opportunity to have a go at some weaving. 

She said the Spanish name for tapestry is "Telar"

Naoko, our Tapestry Master watches Krystal

Wang from China as she weaves a few rows.

Krystal is 16 and at High School. She plays

piano and viola and is a very good musician.

Krystal,s Mum, Lilly (also from China) had a 

go at weaving too and loved the design.

~o00o~

It's always great to see men having a go at weaving. 

Traditionally,it was the men who worked on a tapestry. 

Women spun the wool (and probably a tale or two!) 

Ralph Laing from Auckland was up in Whangarei for 

The Northland performing Arts Competition. While

his daughter was competing in the dance section, he

and his son, Alex had some Father/Son bonding time.

Alex Laing (18) is a first year Auckland University 

Architecture student. He is very much into "the Arts"

(according to his Mum) and both he and his dad thought

 the weaving was very relaxing and therapeutic. Alex's

Mum said she had tried weaving years ago and after 

today was thinking about getting a loom now.

~o00o~

There's always lots of interest from visitors so great to have

two hostesses available to explain the tapestry project to them.

Eve Potter (10) was with her family for Father's Day

at Mokaba Cafe and came over to see what we were

doing while they were finishing their drinks.She really 

enjoyed having a go at weaving and was very good at it!

Eve went and told her brother, Will (12) and sister, Grace (8)

to come see the weaving and both had a go, as well. Will 

attends Huanui College and both Eve and Grace go to

 school at Glenbervie.

~o00o~

With The Northland Performing Arts Competition 

on at The Forum North it wasn't long before we 

saw some dancers.

Hannah Thorne (13) is from Auckland and a tap dancer

with the Bay School of Dance, in Brown's Bay.

Sister Lucy Thorne (12)  is also a tap dancer and thought 

the tapestry was amazing. At the back, home-stay student

from Germany, Anna op de Hipt (15) weaves under the 

watchful eye of Naoko, Master Weaver.

Friend of Hannah and Anna, Brooke (15) is a

jazz ballet dancer and up for the competitions too.

She thought the tapestry was great and loved

 having a go at weaving on the tapestry.

~o00o~