REMEMBER TO REMEMBER - Nicki Stewart

21 April - 25 May 2015 | Rotary Foyer

'Remember to Remember' commemorates the soldiers who fought or died in WW1.

During WW1 ten percent of our then population of one million served overseas, of which more than 18,000 died and over 40,000 were wounded>

Nearly every New Zealand family was affected.

Wairarapa artist Nicki Stewart's interest in WW1 was sparked by living in Featherston, close to the site of New Zealand's largest WW1 training camp, which at its peak could sleep, feed and train over 9000 men.

This multimedia exhibition includes textiles, ceramics, painting (encaustic)and 100 decorated rocks from the Tauherenikau river - a dedication to the 100 years since the Featherston Military Camp was established in which men painted rocks removed from the fields in order not to injure themselves during training. This decorative art form would line the paths.

It incorporates a community project 'A Call to Arms' - a community knitting project where participants knitted 'comforts for soldiers' in memory of someone in their family who served int he war.

This project is about re-membering, piecing together the tragic journey that these men undertook and serves to put back some of the faces to the names that have become almost lost from living memory and which are now more than names in our family trees.

 

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