The gala event of the Eden Arts calendar is held in March each year and brings together a large number of recognised Auckland artists who draw and paint from the Essex Road Reserve. The completed works are auctioned the same day to provide funds for community arts initiatives.

Around 40 visual artists work in the park during the day. Talk to the artists or watch an artwork progress from start to finish. Children’s workshops are offered. The work of well known artists can be won in the raffle. It’s a great day with live music, entertainment and various activities to enjoy. At the end there is a chance to purchase the works created, not to mention all the excitement of a live auction!

ARTISTS IN EDEN DAY 2013 

Thank you to all of you who came along to our 26th year in the park! This makes us the longest running community arts event of its kind in Auckland and what a great day it was! Even the undecided weather did not deter the crowds - people came from all over Auckland to witness the artists working in the reserve and to attend the auction which for the first time ever was held indoors at the Mt Eden Village Centre.

There was live music courtesy of Dave Bishop and friends, balloon twisting and children's art, and of course the artists themselves.

Jeff Thomson had a spellbound audience watching him "French knit" the mountain and its crater out of strips of metal, using his own cleverly created contraption to do so (as revealed to Eden Artspeak attendees a few days earlier, who watched in eager anticipation on the day to see if it would actually work...)

Other artists included "regulars" such as John Horner, Russell Jackson, Simon Williams, Geoff Tune, Evan and Paul Woodruffe, Clyde Scott, David Blair, John Lyall, John Pusateri, Mike Morgan, Nicky Foreman, Neal Palmer and Scott Gardiner, plus newcomers Ziggy Lever and Olivia Isbey who were last year's recipients of Eden Arts grants. Previous winners of the Young Artists Awards who have become familiar faces at Artists in Eden Day over the years are Adrian Jackman, Sam Thomas and Rebecca Tune.

Peter Gibson Smith produced a 3-D work entitled Paper Scissors Rock whose story was told pictorially in the sketch book he also made for the event, while Justin Boroughs created a painting of Auckland Grammar School which is to become the face of the official school card.

There was also a framed Dick Frizzell print being auctioned and a donation on the day of a Pat Hanly print (the very same image that featured on the Mt Eden Village Home of the Arts sign for many years).

In addition to this two lucky raffle winners went home with a beautiful framed print by Claudia Pond Eyley and a small work entitled Maungawhau by Stanley Palmer.

We look forward to seeing you next year! 

Photos from previous years

Location of Artists in Eden