Chance to buy (and win) original artworks in Auckland exhibition

Pastel, oil and digital paintings as well as photography by Auckland's emerging artists are on display - and on offer -  in a city centre exhibition.

A chance to get an original artwork at a reasonable price is due to the Auckland Council funded Good News for You exhibition taking place in the Strand Arcade, in Queen Street, until May 14.

Sarah Mwashomah, an artist who has her photography on display, says there’s a chance to win her photography.

To win, she says, people need to “guess close to the correct number of gumballs in jar” at her Systems of Creation (SOO) exhibition which is displayed seven days a week, in morning and afternoon sessions.

Artists have praised the council funding for the programme that works with creators to help give their artwork exposure and recognition.

“To our surprise, we were given funding for our exhibition and could use the money however it suited for the exhibition,” says Mwashomah.

Another artist, Xixi Xian, says the exhibitions help working professionals who are “emerging artists”.

Artists can “showcase their artworks at a bigger scale, that we would otherwise not have been able to,” she says.

“It’s a blessing” that funding allows the voices of the artists to be heard and they’re able to have a location, she says.

Mwashomah says that these exhibitions are special because it invites the Auckland community to witness and engage in local artwork.

Barbara Holloway, part of Auckland Council's development programme office says opportunities like these are rare for artists.

“Normally you have to pay for your own exhibition and we provide a micro-grant to cover the cost,” she says.

Holloways says that the exhibitions are one of the many arts and culture events that the council supports, across Auckland.

Although even more events would be beneficial, the “Auckland Council supports something every day of the week across the city”, she .