Tuffery hosts arts trail in Christchurch for Vitu – Pacific Arts Festival

22 January 2007

Pacific artist Michel Tuffery has always been an arts trailblazer and this time he is literally leading an arts trail around Christchurch next month on Thursday, 1 February, 2007.

The arts trail is part of the Vitu – Pacific Arts Festival, which runs from 31 January to 3 February. The Wellington-based artist is hosting a group of artists and the public on a walking tour around the city’s art institutions, including the Canterbury Museum, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, and dealer art galleries.

Tuffery, whose work Povi Christkeke is on display at Christchurch Art Gallery, will interpret and critique art works around the city. The senior Pacific artist, of Samoan, Tahitian and Palagi (European) descent, creates work that reflects the developments and shifts inherent in living in the South Pacific. This is his second arts trail, following on from the success of the 2005 arts trail for the then Ono – Pacific Arts Festival.

Tuffery has received numerous awards and grants, including the Rita Angus Fellowship in 1996. He was the Macmillan Brown/Creative NZ Artist in Residence in 1997.

Vitu - Pacific Arts is the only festival in the South Island that gives Christchurch citizens and visitors a taste of the Pacific through traditional and contemporary art forms. It has a commitment to fostering local artistic talent by supporting established and emerging artists and performers. The festival reflects the pride, commitment, and energy of the Pacific community and contributes to building a sense of place. 

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