Art and artists thrive in Marlborough's relaxed environment. Writers,
visual artists, sculptors, potters, photographers, all flourish in the region's tranquil
and creative surroundings. Many are inspired by Marlborough's hills and valleys; others by
the proximity to the sea.
Creative Marlborough represents the arts in the northern parts of the
region, while the Kaikoura Community Arts Council represents the south. The Marlborough
District Council and the Kaikoura District Council both help fund the organisations based
in their catchment. Creative Marlborough and the Kaikoura Community Arts Council both seek
to actively promote the arts by providing contacts, advice or funding. The organisations
also distribute grants to arts and cultural groups on behalf of Creative New Zealand.
Projects initiated by the Kaikoura Community Arts Council include photo
and art exhibitions, while Creative Marlborough support the Artrageous arts festival held
in Blenheim's Pollard Park and the Summer Arts School.
 Visual Arts
Opened in December 1999, the Millennium Art Gallery provides an accessible and informative
forum for the arts, with a commitment to quality, diversity and the celebration of culture
in New Zealand.
The Marlborough Art Society was founded in 1962 to promote the study,
practise and cultivation of the visual arts in Marlborough. The Society has a membership
of over 300 and a purpose built gallery complex in Blenheim that caters for a wide range
of exhibitions, featuring Marlborough artists, both professional and amateur.
Music
Blenheim Amateur Operatic Society was formed in 1918 and has more than 250 members. The
society stages a major production each year and has in the past staged Hello Dolly, Les
Miserables, Evita, Chess, Oliver and Fiddler on the Roof.
Dramatic Arts
Marlborough Repertory Society has been in existence since 1948, when it opened with Noel
Coward's play, Hay Fever. The Society took over the Boathouse on the banks of the Opawa
River and turned it into an intimate, 106 seat theatre. |
