The Franklin Arts Festival Society was formed in 1989 as a non-profit organisation. The Society’s purpose was twofold: To celebrate and promote the artwork of established and emerging (especially young) artists in the Franklin area; and secondly, to create and sustain an annual exhibition of quality local artwork for viewing and for sale.
The first Festival, which was held in 1990, displayed 147 paintings by Franklin artists and numerous craft stalls. Last year, the Festival exhibited more than 500 items, in the five themed categories including paintings, works on paper, textile arts, pottery, photography, glass, wood turning, small sculptures, and school art.
The Arts Festival draws entries primarily from what was once the Franklin District of South Auckland. But with entries open to all New Zealand residents, the Festival receives numerous entries from artists around the country.
The original and subsequent committees for the Festival have followed three guidelines:
- This is not a juried show. Anyone can enter, either as an amateur or as a professional artist.
- To encourage student involvement, prizes are offered to students in a Youth section.**
- The exhibition admission price remains low, so that anyone can afford to view the artwork. There is free admission for all children up to high school age.
The Franklin Arts Festival is truly a community event. The all-volunteer committee plus about 60-70 extra volunteers work to keep the festival running smoothly. The 10 day long Festival attracted some 3000 patrons.
Nga Mihi
Lois Templeton
President - Franklin Arts Festival
