Art Plates at Ōtāhuhu Food Festival
Creator: Art Ache, Aimee Ralfini.
Artform: Visual Art + Craft
Timeframe: October 1st 2022
Location: Ōtāhuhu Food Festival
Local Ōtāhuhu creative entrepreneur Aimee Ralfini had her much anticipated "ArtBoot" event postponed several times due to COVID.
The project concept was to see well known and emerging local artists alongside each other, selling limited editions from their car boots inside the courtyard of Māngere Arts Centre. A lighthearted way to break down the barriers to experiencing and purchasing art. Aimee was unable to secure the opportunity to hold the event at Māngere Arts Centre. Instead she saw an ideal opportunity emerge with the Ōtāhuhu Food Festival. Aimee has pivoted the event from an "ArtBoot" to an "Art Plates". She'll be commissioning 5 local artists to design a bespoke artwork/design for the event, to be printed on enamel plates.
The "ArtPlates" will be then made available for Festival goers and art lovers alike at Aimee's dedicated stall at the event. A practical plate while at the Food Festival and/or an original artwork to take home and hang on the wall. Either way, every person with the ArtPlate will have a classic art item to keep.
The artists involved are;
With her own radio station show and dedicated fans of Aimee's renowned events, we can be certain it will gain excellent and positive media coverage and audience. There will be 25 plates of each artist’s work, and they will be given away to the curious public, who can eat on them while they are at the food festival, then take them home and put them on their wall – or use them to eat off. Either way, every person with the Art-plate, will have a hardy art item to keep forever.
Read about the artists and view their Art Plates in our latest newsletter.
Bio - Aimee Ralfini
For the last 9 years I have hosted a visual arts activation event called Art Ache, which has
now expanded into an arts platform (artache.com) that communicates Fine Art and creative
thought to a wide and varied audience through social media, digital billboard campaigns,
podcasts and other bespoke activations. I aim to strengthen New Zealand’s creative muscle
and connect us with who we are.
As the founder and creative director I produce all aspects connected to any event, from PR,
design, artist management, production and mentoring. I have produced 20 events so far, in
Auckland and Dunedin.
I am passionate about strengthening the role art plays in society, I believe artists are the
litmus paper of society and want the arts to be part of everyday conversation.
I have also hosted art radio show “Who Arted” on 95bFM for just under 4 years, establishing
“Art Radio” as viable entertainment at the station, which now has a 2 hour Sunday slot
devoted to Arts coverage. Through that process I have interviewed over 200 New Zealand
artists live-to-air, from our newest to our most established.
I currently contribute to Verve magazine, writing a monthly Arts spread. And podcast
regularly to Art Ache iTunes podcast.
I actively work towards helping Aotearoa be the best it can be and hold the power of the
creative in the highest regard.
