The Wānaka Autumn Art School has kicked off for 2024 with students diving into their choice from a broad range of artistic disciplines from painting to indigo dyeing, and memoir writing to book arts.

The once-a-year art school gives people the opportunity to step away from their everyday lives for five days and focus on learning or fine-tuning a skill or interest, with help from experienced tutors. 

Robyn van Reenen and Dennis Schwarz retired from organising the event in 2022, and Liz Hawker and Susan Manson are now in their second year as its new coordinators.

Susan told the Wānaka App they like to “mix up” the classes on offer each year and this year new classes include pencil drawing and memoir writing (which returns after a break).

Two tutors have travelled from Australia for the art school, and there are “a handful” from the North Island, with the remainder coming from the South Island.

“It’s very rare we have tutors from Wānaka because we want to expose people to new artists,” Susan said. 

Classes are on average about 90 percent full this year, with mixed media (a type of visual art combining multiple media or materials) the first to sell out.

“We’re very happy with the number of registrations this year,” Susan said. 

Like previous years, the art school offered a handful of scholarships, and the junior scholarship recipient is Te Kura o Tititea Mt Aspiring College (MAC) student Ryan Stenbridge, who is taking pencil drawing.

The senior scholarships went to Emma Edwards and Anna Scott Walker, who are both in the mixed media class.

The art school will open its doors to the public at lunchtime on Friday to give them the chance to see the creations made over the course of the week.

The Wānaka Autumn Art School is a non-profit event run by the Upper Clutha Community Arts Council and surplus funds provide scholarships for young artists and the betterment of the arts in the Upper Clutha Community.

To visit the art school on Friday, head to MAC between 12.30-1.30pm and follow the art school signs.

PHOTO: Supplied