Art exhibition benefits local youth

2021 was an exceptional year for the Rotary Club of Tauranga Sunrise’s Treasured Art Exhibition and Auction. Eleven years running, having raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support young people in Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty, NZ, the club’s flagship event has grown and matured over the years.

The brainchild of Sally Morrison, Treasured Art was originally designed to rehome high-quality preloved artwork, while making a profit for local charities. Since then, the catalogue has grown to contain many pieces of new work and a wider collection of different styles and types of art. Now there is a large database of regular contributors.

After trying out several venues, last year the club entered into an agreement with the Tauranga Art Gallery. This sophisticated venue set the scene for quality artists; and sponsors were keen to have their name aligned with the Gallery.

The Graeme Dingle Foundation is the main youth recipient. Their range of programs supporting and growing strong young people aligns well with Rotary aspirations.

“We appreciate the long-standing relationship that our Foundation has with the Rotary Club of Tauranga Sunrise,” said manager Dan Allen Gordon. “Rotary chooses to support our Kiwi Can program, which is an energy-packed primary school program aimed at children aged 5 to 12 years. It teaches values such as integrity, respect and resilience, setting young people up for future success.”

Treasured art has run annually since 2012, raising $250,000 and supporting almost 1000 children through the Graeme Dingle Foundation’s Kiwi Can program.

The club can’t wait to start planning Treasured Art 2023.