Experience Art

By Zara Weissenstein

Albert Einstein once stated that creativity is intelligence having fun. Through time, many havediscovered the value of allowing the brain to “have fun” in developing our minds in various different ways.

Art is said to have many effects on our lives, such as relieving stress and improving communication. It helps us express ourselves in ways we otherwise could not, and thus is used as a form of therapy for various reasons. Art therapy combines diverse creative techniques to properly express emotions that could otherwise not be communicated. Artistic creation is said to have therapeutic value both for people who are healing and those who are simply looking to understand themselves on a higher level.

You don’t have to create art yourself, however, to experience its power; simply viewing art activates parts of our brains that would otherwise remain unused. Some even say that experiencing art is like a workout for your mind, simply because it activates thoughts, memories, images, etc. in our brain.

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The experience of art is unique to each viewer as no one person is the same with the same experiences and perceptions as any other person. Art can make us feel one way or another, however, everyone will interpret it slightly differently, which is the beauty of the practice. This is also why it does not take some miraculous gift to produce art, it is individual. It is in the mind - a muscle that you exercise and develop, to produce an image that means something.

Various studies state that art improves the mind, suggesting that one should partake in creating or just viewing art, to experience these effects for oneself. No matter what age you are, the benefits of art can only help, whether it be with early development, study, and learning, or in later years.

So pick up a pencil or paintbrush and create something that speaks to you, or head to an art gallery to experience what other individuals are saying through their own art. Because it can only do you good.

Last December, four of us; students and chaplains from Lincoln Uni, privately visited the Stockton Mine, courtesy of a local tour company.

Our tour left to head to Stockton Mine in the morning from the main Buller town of Westport and we returned six hours later. Upon arrival, we received an informative commentary on the areas we just traveled en route to the mine, including the many Maori place names and their meanings, plus their associated historical, geographical, botanical, and geological appropriateness.

The Stockton Mine is NZ’s largest open-cast mine. The coal produced there is mainly exported to Asia and other far distant steel manufacturers. The mine and coal fields are located on the Buller plateau at altitudes between 500 and 1,100 meters above sea level. The transport provided by the tour company was an ex-army vehicle capable of handling the mine’s terrain, with its steep in - clines and rugged surfaces. The steep ascents and descents were a bit out of our comfort zones, but they were well handled by the driver and vehicle. With all of us from Lincoln, this was our first time visiting any form of a coal mine. We were supplied with safety helmets and very photogenic (you judge) apparel! Upon receiving information on the mine’s activities, we then toured much of the vast area. Stockton Mine is 22.9 square kilometers of coal mining, processing, transportation, and operations.

We observed an extensive array of (mainly huge) equipment and vehicles utilised in the mine’s operations. An interesting aspect of the tour was seeing the huge effort being expended by the mine’s operator, to remediate and rehabilitate particular areas of the land, following the completion of coal extraction there.

The objective seemed to be to contour the land appropriately and then replenish the mined areas with native planting that prevails in that location. Given the altitude and local climate, this is a complex and lengthy task, however, we saw plenty of evidence that the land was indeed being restored to its original state, including the vegetation. Other aspects of environmental care were evident, such as the neutralisation of acidic liquids before they came into contact with adjacent waterways.

We were lucky to be welcomed with a beautiful summery day and were able to combine a unique tourism experience with a first-hand learning experience in an active coal mine in New Zealand. The tour company describes this tour as “mining and tourism, working together” and we felt that was a good description. For more info about this tour, head to www.outwest.co.nz

Dinners of Selwyn

Monday 17 July, 6–7.30pm

West Melton Community and Recreation Centre

Matariki signals the Māori New Year and is considered a time of celebration and renewal. It begins with the rising of the Matariki star cluster which appears mid-winter. This year we’re celebrating the Tupuārangi star connected to everything that grows in our trees and forests.

Dinners of Selwyn is a celebration of diversity, great food and meeting others’ from your local community.

Bring a dish connected to Tupuārangi (fruit and/or berries) and enjoy a shared meal with new friends!

Hear from local community gardens about the winter produce they are harvesting and cooking, plus find out how to get involved.

To find out more and secure a spot, visit selwyn.govt.nz/matariki