Content created in partnership with The Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi
Fancy yourself a local art collector but don’t quite have the budget to start frequenting your local dealer gallery? Or perhaps you have a dining room hanging with an exquisite John Reynolds, that’s just begging for some placemats to match. Or, much as you’d love to dine with Tāme Iti and Hera Lindsay Bird, you’re far too shy to initiate conversation with them.
Anyone who falls into any of the above camps is the target audience for the latest initiative from The Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi. A private funding body which raises much needed funds for the arts, as well as a community around the arts in its myriad forms in Aotearoa, The Arts Foundation is constantly thinking of innovative ways to raise money (funds raised go directly to benefiting artists, through a number of initiatives like the Laureates or Springboard programme) while simultaneously drawing attention to our acclaimed local art scene. The DIY Arts Dinners tick both those boxes perfectly.
“The Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi is on a mission to grow a culture of giving to the arts across the motu, and our DIY Arts Dinner Packs are a perfect way to dip your toes in the water” says general manager Jessica Palalagi. “Get your peeps together and bring on the chaotic dinner table energy – we want to see mis-matched glassware, someone sitting on a computer chair from the spare room and everyone chipping in $40 for the cause. Art is fun, after all. Join the party!”
DIY Arts Dinners offer budding philanthropists the opportunity to purchase a 10-piece dinner party pack comprising artist-designed coasters, placemats and a game (akin to the classic Heads Up). The $400 cost can be split between a group of 10 friends or covered by a benevolent host. 100% of funds raised go straight back to nurturing artists in Aotearoa. All DIY Dinner Packs will be posted at the end of April, so you can host your dinner in May – and be part of a month-long, national fundraising effort that also features a premiere Arts Gala and the annual Arts Foundation Digital Auction.
Hosts and groups are encouraged to eat, drink and play in theme, using each artist's aesthetic as a springboard for ideas for how your night will unfold. And, at the end of the night, you’ll each have keepsakes: artworks from an acclaimed and highly collectible artist, possibly customised with your own good-time stains.
Each DIY dinner pack is in limited supply and will sell out, so get your gaggle together, choose your artist and get creating.
The 2024 DIY Dinner artists are:
Tāme Iti
For those after an evening of hearty political discourse.
A 2022 Laureate, Tāme Iti (Ngai Tuhoe, Waikato, Te Arawa) is an artist, actor, poet, entrepreneur, beekeeper, gardener, father and grandfather with a bone-deep commitment to his practice. Throughout his life he has used creativity as a vessel for change – moving fluidly between disciplines and genres with a vision that has resonated across decades. From shooting a national flag on government grounds to collaborating with some of Aotearoa’s greatest artists including 2018 Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Icon Billy Apple. Tāme is a constant innovator, pushing boundaries to tell indigenous stories on a world stage.
Kai suggestion: Tāme’s a vegan; honour the artist by challenging yourself to create a plant-based feast.
Drink pairing: A bottle of red wine is an essential companion for robust discussions over the dinner table. Try the 2013 ‘Sophia’ Gimblett Gravels from Craggy Range.
Hera Lindsay Bird
For your coquettish friends.
2017 New Generation Award recipient and acclaimed poet (and Ensemble fragrance reviewer) Hera Lindsay Bird’s self-titled book was the fastest-selling poetry collection in NZ, featuring viral classics like Monica (after Monica Geller, duh) and Keats is Dead So Fuck me From Behind. One may imagine that Hera would’ve dedicated a poem to her DIY Dinner settings, but one would be wrong. Enjoy your meal over these portraits of a bodybuilding couple.
Kai suggestion: A wonky cake, or perhaps a Gohar-esque grazing table.
Drinks pairing: Definitely a pet nat. Preferably an orange.
John Reynolds
For those who fancy themselves collectors, but without the budget.
2006 Laureate John Reynolds has had a prolific career, moving between largely abstract colourfields, and structural text-based imagery. His paintings are rich with literary, religious, art historical and architectural allusions, frequently using both everyday and epic reference.
Kai suggestion: Monochromatic dishes in the style of his large scale colour pieces. Or diner food, inspired by his iconic 80s Auckland cafe John’s Diner.
Drinks pairing: Coffee, possibly served in a bowl, as inspired by the above.
Lisa Reihana MNZM
For those looking for an immersive experience.
2014 Arts Laureate Lisa Reihana (Ngā Puhi) is a multi-disciplinary artist who’s contributed in powerful ways to multimedia, photography, sculpture and screen culture in Aotearoa, and represented NZ at the 2017 Venice Biennale with a large-scale video installation.
Kai suggestion: Channel Lisa’s 2018 Nomad of the Sea installation with a kai moana feast. Add some ocean sounds on the UE Boom and adorn the table with shells and found beach treasures to take the meal into a next level immersive art experience.
Drinks pairing: Go all in and stick with the ocean theme; serve Blue Lagoon cocktails by mixing vodka, blue Curaçao and lemonade.
*Purchase your DIY Dinner packs here, $400 for 10 settings, or upgrade to a $2000 pack which includes six bottles of Craggy Wine and a $1000 donation to The Arts Foundation. All hosts receive an exquisite gift from arts supporters Sans[ceuticals] as a token of gratitude. Don’t forget to share your pics!
