Kate Fitzharris ‘Library of Things’ Project / 5 May – 24 June, 2018
A selection of objects the artist is currently working on during her Tylee Cottage residency February – June 2018
Kate Fitzharris ‘Library of Things’ Project
5 May – 24 June, 2018
Dunedin-based ceramicist Kate Fitzharris is the new artist-in-residence at Tylee Cottage for five months and during her time in Whanganui Fitzharris wants to create a “Library of Things”. For this project she would like to involve the local community by inviting participants to share ceramic objects that are significant in their daily lives. From listening to the stories associated with them and engaging with the objects Kate will then make works in response and over time this will form a visual diary or research and a library of objects will be made. When she’s not making ceramics, Fitzharris works part time as a librarian and it is the potential cataloguing of objects which intrigues her… are they functional, ornamental or sculptural, are the stories associated with the objects fiction or non-fiction?
For the project Kate is wanting to hear from a broad range of people in the community and the objects and their stories can include all sorts of things; from cups, door knobs, soap dishes, to figurines, votive objects to contemporary art, Kate’s keen to see these objects and to hear the stories associated with them. Kate has already been based at both the Central Davis and Gonville Libraries, where people dropped in to see her and chat about their favourite objects.
From 5 May – 24 June, Kate will be stationed at the Sarjeant Gallery, 38 Taupō Quay, here you’ll be able to see what Kate’s been up to, some of the objects she’s made and how the library of things is growing. It’s the perfect time to also meet Kate in person and bring in your ceramic offering, she doesn’t need to borrow the object but she’d love to chat to you about it and what it means to you. You can either bring the object along or if it’s too fragile to bring, a photograph will suffice.
Kate will be stationed in the gallery Wednesday and Thursday afternoons from 1.30 – 4.30pm, for the duration of the ‘Library of Things’. While she is in the gallery Kate will also be studying some terrific items from the Sarjeant’s collection so it’s a chance for you to see some of the treasures we have.
At the end of her residency Kate will take her library of things with her back to Dunedin and it’s from there and the stories she has gathered that a new body of work will grow blurring the lines between fiction and non-fiction. This will result in an exhibition that will take place late in 2018 or in early 2019.
