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7 Nov 2019

Tautoko your locals this Christmas

We love all the goodness that comes with Christmas – whānau, decorations, pohutukawa in full bloom, BBQs, beach weather, and unwrapping beautiful prezzies.

We’re into dodging the mainstream stores and instead making an effort to tautoko our local artists.

Here are a handful of our favourite places around the region where we know we can find the perfect gift made with aroha by creatives right here at home.

Hamilton:

  • Ono Pop Up Shop: Ono Pop Up Shop is the home of local māori designers and creatives here in the Waikato. From ready-to-wear fashion and interior design. Fashion and lifestyle products for a limited time only.
  • Soul Gallery: Within the pages of the Art Shop you will find a wide selection of contemporary New Zealand art and jewellery.
  • ArtsPost Gallery & Shop: Located in one of Hamilton’s heritage buildings, this former Post Office is now a retail space and gallery. ArtsPost is regularly updated with the best in local art.
  • Inspirit Gallery: The Inspirit Gallery supports and promotes the highest quality original New Zealand art and design with an emphasis on representing leading local artists.
  • Michael Matchitt: Proudly part of a legacy of whakairo (carving), Michael descends from iwi recognised for their contributions to whakairo, teaching and the arts.
  • Twig and Little: Handcrafted jewellery and other cuteness proudly made in Hamilton, New Zealand.

Kawhia:

  • Black Flax: Black Flax creates natural traditional resources using traditional Maori weaving techniques and resources to replace plastic and unnatural products

Morrinsville:

  • Wallace Gallery: The Wallace Gallery Morrinsville has been borne of passion and community vision: a contemporary gallery with multiple spaces that showcase New Zealand art and artists alongside the Sir James Wallace Arts Trust Collection.

Raglan:

  • Raglan Art Market: The Raglan Creative Market is a monthly market held the second Sunday of each month at the Raglan Old School Arts Centre in Whaingaroa-Raglan.
  • Jet Collective: Jet Collective is an eclectic group of 6 Raglan based artists and crafts people. Their mediums include clay, cloth, gemstones, photography and paint.
  • Toi Hauauru Studio: Toi Hauāuru Studio is a contemporary visual arts & design business owned and operated by Simon Te Wheoro and Jamie Haenga.  Simon is a contemporary visual artist who works with a variety of mediums to produce:paintings in mixed media, Ta Moko (Māori tattoo), and sculpture in wood and stone.

Taumarunui:

  • Twin Rivers Art Gallery & Shop: The Taumarunui Art Group & Twin Rivers Gallery Shop & Studio is a collective of artists based in the King Country who foster arts and crafts in the community.

Te Awamutu:

  • Kapu Uku: Kapu Uku are reusable takeaway cups made from clay.

Thames:

  • Arohart: Precious artefacts, hand-made taonga, locally carved pounamu, high end art, traditional Māori crafts, books including Dr Zeuss in te reo Māori. This authentic Māori Art Gallery gives you an authentic Māori experience, guaranteeing that everything you see and touch is Māori made and the genuine article.
  • Thames Art Gallery: Thames Art Gallery provides for the encouragement of Fine and Applied Art.

Waihi:

  • Laughing Pottery: Laughing Pottery produces a great balance of quality and art, it is the expression of the pure, simple imperfection of handmade pottery. You will discover one off pieces, dinnerware sets, commissions and orders for restaurants and businesses.

Whangamata/Tairua:

Online locals:

  • Nichola: Contemporary Māori designs from Aotearoa uniquely shaping the horizon of fashion, jewellery and accessories.
  • Taputapu: Taputapu is about designing contemporary, modern Te Reo Māori homeware to encourage and help whānau to kōrero māori.
  • Tuhi stationery: Māori inspired and designed stationery in Te Reo Māori and Te Reo English.

Whānau portraits:

  • Rawhitiroa: Born and raised in Aotearoa New Zealand, Rawhitiroa photography is grounded in a passion for capturing moments of connection: people to people, people to place.
  • Soldiers Rd: Based in Cambridge, New Zealand, the two stylists dress customers in Maori, Pasifika and Native American and First Nations regalia for a memorable native inspired vintage portrait.
  • Erica Sinclair Photography: Erica is a Māori photographer from Te Whānau a Apanui (East Coast), based in Hamilton and is commited to telling stories through a Māori lens.