Artwork mystery: Steampunk-style sculptures baffle gallery staff
By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Mystery surrounds three large artworks displayed at Ashburton's council offices for 50 years.
The origins of the large distinctive metal and wood sculptures have the Ashburton Art Gallery and Museum team baffled.
The council's people and facilities group manager, Sarah Mosley, said little was known about the artworks with an agricultural theme.
“As far as we can determine, they have been on display for as long as council have occupied their admin building, and there is no evidence that they have been moved from these three locations in the building.
“They are listed as untitled [and] we are yet to find the title given to them by the maker.”
District ratepayers own an extensive civic art collection of over 180 works.
Many of these will adorn Te Whare Whakatere, Ashburton’s new library and civic centre, when it opens. The opening date has been delayed until January.
As staff began collating the artworks in the council building ahead of the move, they were stumped by the origins of the three items.
The artworks resemble a vintage-farm machinery steampunk mash-up.
There have been some leads that suggested people to contact, Mosley said.
“These leads were mostly for previous councillors and council staff.
“As of yet, no one has been able to identify who the maker is or give us an exact date of production.”
The mysterious three works and other objects and artworks from the civic art collection will be displayed in Te Whare Whakatere, Mosley said.
“Due to the type of sculptures, we are considering what the best location is for these and whether they are placed permanently or rotational like other objects, but we would like to discuss the options with the artist or their descendants before proceeding.”
An artwork plan is being prepared for the new building, which will open on Januray 22.
Mosley previously said they planned to have a gallery wall within the new library to allow for items of civic collection to rotate on a more frequent basis.
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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61.7% Summer
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36.7% Winter
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1.6% Other - I'll share below
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!
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