"Merger – the takeover party" is happening on Thursday 20 May, 5.30pm – approx 8.00pm, at 370 Colombo St in Sydenham.

"While more formal exhibitions have official openings and closings, we’re taking a bit of an unusual slant on this one by having our party in the middle! This is not your everyday exhibition," says Warren Pringle, Community Arts Worker, Christchurch City Council.

"The exhibition is not exactly in a ‘gallery’, but in vacated buildings that used to be occupied by banks and another business. The artists have cleverly played on themes relevant to the sites themselves, and their works deal with issues of banking, money, closures, mergers, takeovers and how these all affect society."

"We’d really like to see people come down to Sydenham to check it out. It’s a very contemporary exhibition and we recommend that people take the time to look, and consider what the artists are trying to express."

Art on the Southside – an artists' project is a visual arts project by fifteen contemporary Christchurch artists, and part of Mayfest in Sydenham - three weeks of festival-like activities planned to liven up the area.

The exhibition duration has been extended and is open for viewing Tuesdays to Saturday, 11.00am to 5.00pm until 27 May.

In an initiative to spice up activity in the area, City Council Community Arts staff have worked with the local businesses and residents associations and the community boards to organise the Mayfest in Sydenham.

Artists involved include Dan Arps, Ella Reed, Kathleen Peacock, Adam Willetts, Emma Bugden, Sera Jensen, Brendan Lee, Michael Hornblow, James Meharry, Julaine Stephenson, Ciaran Begley, Ina Johann, Amanda Newell, Lesley Knight, and Jonathan Nicol.

For further information contact the Council Community Arts Co-ordinators:

Warren Pringle (03) 941 8886 &