Designed to build confidence and nurture creativity in primary and intermediate-aged Kiwi kids, the inner-city arts programme ‘Through the eyes of a child’ has returned to Ponsonby for its 21st year.
Encouraging budding artists from 13 inner-city schools including St Joseph’s, Newton Central, Richmond Road, St Francis Primary, Ponsonby Primary, Marist Catholic, Pasadena Intermediate, Bayfield, Freemans Bay, Point Chevalier, Grey Lynn, Ponsonby Intermediate and Westmere Schools, students have prepared hundreds of masterpieces using a variety of methods spanning paint, sketch, sculpture, moulds and dye.
“Year after year we are blown away with what the children produce,” says Bayleys Ponsonby sales manager Bernadette Morrison who has overseen Bayleys devoted sponsorship of the programme for the last four years.
“It’s a fantastic outlet for the kids, allowing them to explore artistic expression and their own creativity, with some perhaps even discovering a lifelong affinity for art.
“We have a very generous office-culture and are in a fortunate position to donate time, energy and resource to many school programmes, but this is one of our favourites,” says Bayleys Ponsonby’s top salesperson Karen Spires.
Students have been busily preparing their creations be-tween June and September and after featuring in individual school displays, the works are sent to Bayleys’ Ponsonby office for collation in preparation of the public display.
“It’s a real community event, the children, the parents and the wider public are all able to share as the children proudly display their works,” says Bernadette.
Last year Bayleys Ponsonby and Hills Commercial Flooring awarded prize winners from each school with book vouchers along with $1000 donated toward each of the schools’ arts programmes.
This year the two sponsors are back again rewarding prize winners and matching the $1000 donated to the various school art programmes in 2017.
Art-lover Karen is thrilled to be involved in the event for a 21st year, saying that the benefits of art for children have been well documented.