The Wellingtonista guide to drinking for free

Now, don’t get me wrong: we Wellingtonistas are not usually parsimonious when it comes to paying for drinks. On the other hand, we’re a canny and logical bunch, and it only takes about 10 free glasses of house wine to save up enough for a Mega Mai Tai, so in the long run it pays to seek out gratis grog.
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
Let’s start with the obvious: gallery openings and launches. You can get lucky by simply cruising the streets on a midweek night seeking the tell-tale sounds of clinking glasses and poststructuralist discourse, but dedicated cheapskates know that the best way to guarantee results is to get on the mailing lists.

Genevieve Packer: Wish You Were Here

Genevieve Packer, probably known best for her Hutt Valley and State House tee-shirts, has taken over Old Victoria Arcade for her Master of Design exhibition.


The show is open 12 noon until 6 pm on Thursday – Sunday, from the 18th of October to the 4th of November. Gen’s site is here.

Exhibition – Deborah Barton

Deborah Barton Deborah Barton is a Wellington-based print maker. She has done a number of exhibitions, and is about to open at the Solander Gallery in Lyall Bay this Saturday, 13 October.

Deborah’s prints are dark and intriguing, with overtones of childhood mysteries.

And now for the good news. As a young artist Deborah’s work is surprisingly reasonably priced…

Need I say more.

Pink Ribbon Day Street Appeal, Friday Oct 12

PinkThe Pink Ribbon is the international symbol for Breast Cancer awareness.

This Friday is the Pink Ribbon Day Street appeal.

Collectors, including at least three of the Wellingtonista, will be fetchingly clad in pink sashes, and will be found lurking on streets & street corners accepting your kind donations towards breast cancer research.

More details, including how to volunteer & wear your own pink sash, can be found at the NZ Breast Cancer website
here

Sandra Schmidt: Hinterland II

Hinterland II
Sandra Schmidt

Michael Hirschfeld Gallery
(at City Gallery)
10 October — 18 November 2007

The crystalline shapes and icy-coloured forms of Sandra Schmidt’s Hinterland II make up the sequel exhibition to her 2006 hot-hued Hinterland which appeared at Mary Newton Gallery, Wellington. The earlier spiky-shaped works in Hinterland expressed ideas of fire, heat, pressure and friction. In Hinterland II the focus is on cool colours and references to ice and water. Both extremes of temperature represent inhospitable areas, the back country or underdeveloped place, either metaphorical or real.

(more after the jump)

Intense, man!

I’ve been blathering about it all over the place, but the Wellingtonista has thus far remained staunchly unblathered about IntensCITY week, which started yesterday.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Downtown Wellington is full of exhibitions, posters, shipping containers, lunchtime talks and video installations, all celebrating and/or critiquing our urban spaces. The official site is on the WCC website, and brochures are available in cafes, libraries and council places, or as a big juicy PDF.

Craftwerk finishes natiowide tour in Wellington

The ever-edgy Craftwerk is wrapping up a tour of our fine country with bands, mix tapes and craft galore at the Wesley Methodist Hall on Taranaki Street this Saturday 5pm – 9pm. Be there or miss out on crocheted vaginas, fort building and tonnes of sugary goodness.

The Hollow Men at BATS

Hollow Men imageJust a quick note to recommend Dean Parker’s theatrical adaptation of The Hollow Men, which is on now at BATS. My position in the theatre industry prevents me from doing a proper review which means I can’t tell you how funny and pointed it is, nor how expertly directed it is (by Jonathan Hendry) or how good many of the performances are (particularly Stephen Papps as Brash).

Several reviews are online at John Smythe’s excellent Theatreview resource so you can get the full down-low from there.

The Hollow Men plays at BATS until Thursday 11 October and then travels to Centrepoint in Palmerston North for a season.

White Fungus Issue 8 Release Party

Come see the new mag for the first time and enjoy a night of off-beat entertainment.

(details after the jump)

Time to veg out

October 1 is World Vegetarian Day, so we’d like you to comment and tell us about your favourite vege-friendly places to eat in Wellington.

We’d also like to encourage you to check out the Wellington Vegetarian Food & Lifestyle Festival on Saturday Saturday September 29 at St Johns in the City, Cnr Willis and Dixon Streets.

Join us to celebrate World Vegetarian Day with an exciting range of stalls covering everything from vegetarian cookery demonstrations and tastings, lifestyle products, cruelty-free beauty products, to nutritional information. View documentaries played on a big screen being run throughout the day, and hear informative speakers talk about human health, the environmental effects of food production, new education initiatives in schools, animal health, and animal rights.

Or if that all sounds like too much hard work, here’s a really easy recipe for dhal.