Art Meets Conservation

Four Mahurangi Artist Network members — Yvonne Gray, Sally Thrush, Karena de Pont, and Talia Russell — are among 40 artists featured in the Towards Predator Free 2050 exhibition series, curated by Valerie Cuthbert.

Above: Yvonne Gray brings awareness to the endangered status of our native Archey’s frog.

This major art and conservation initiative is at the Estuary Arts Centre, Orewa, from 22 September – 27 October.

Karena de Pont returns to the exhibition with the final pieces from her Little Barrier wall sculpture series, alongside this striking new painting titled Across Tawharanui to Little Barrier (above).

“It’s a celebration of the work being done to protect our unique flora and fauna,” she says, “from predator-proof fences on the mainland to the sanctuary of island reserves.”