˜˜ October, ˜°˜˛
The gallery holding its own Page 2
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life+style The Weekend Sun 21 2015 ˜˜August, 22 October, 2021 Dan du Bern and Courtney Lucas.
Sumer The gallery holding its own Nestled on a laneway in downtown Tauranga is an unassuming gallery that could easily be mistaken as street art on a wall. Hiding behind the distinct black and white geometric painting is a bright, light space with walls adorned with perfectly placed art. Sumer Gallery on Waihirere Lane is the handiwork of couple Dan du Bern and Courtney Lucas. They opened the gallery in 2018 after looking for a place to run their picture framing business out of. The current space was too small for framing but perfect for a gallery, so they decided to give it a go. “We’re probably the first gallery of this calibre in the Bay of Plenty,” says Dan. “Now we represent about a dozen artists from across New Zealand and Australia.” Sumer has shown around 50 artists since 2018, with shows lasting between four-to-six weeks.
Filling a gap
Photo: Dan du Bern
Dan also has an art consulting business, and through this he noticed a lot of clients were buying work in other cities while on holiday. He realised there was a gap in the Tauranga market for a gallery that deals in contemporary art. There weren’t a lot of venues and opportunities for people to view and purchase art in Tauranga, says Dan.
“If we want to see good quality art being supported, so that artists can continue to present work, then it’s really important that people do have a venue for it,” he says. While setting up the gallery they received mixed reactions from those in the art world, with some supportive of the idea and others saying they should set up elsewhere in a larger city. “It’s an interesting phenomenon,” says Dan. “Realistically, other than a couple of galleries that opened in Wellington, it’s been very hard for people to get a footing selling and dealing in contemporary art.” Now they’ve come into their own and have a firm footing in the art scene. “Even though we’re provincial, the line of work we’re doing is up at the same level with what’s out there in Auckland and Wellington,” says Courtney. “We’ve got some really good local supporters here, and some great advocates for what we’re doing - and it’s growing.” “Here in Tauranga it has been amazing, because when we think about so many of the works which are placed into local homes, they wouldn’t have otherwise have been here in the Bay or stayed in the Bay,” adds Dan. Sumer shows some of New Zealand’s most wellknown and highly-regarded artists, but they also foster upcoming talent. “We’re working with quite a number of really interesting younger artists who’ve been doing exceedingly well,” says Dan.
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“We didn’t just set up a gallery to sell work. We liked the idea of supporting art, but it is also an opportunity because anybody can walk in the door”
“We didn’t just set up a gallery to sell work. We liked the idea of supporting art, but it is also an opportunity because anybody can walk in the door. “It’s one of those places whereby it’s not going to cost you - it’s here for you to browse, and we encourage browsing.”
A shift in mind-set The pair are pleased with the change they are seeing in people’s attitudes towards art. “We’re starting to see younger people - people our age, in their 30s and 40s - thinking about collecting,” says Courtney. “The other thing is breaking down that misconception that art is way too expensive for people to possibly consider or that it’s reserved for the extremely wealthy,” adds Dan. “It’s really not.” “That seems to be a notion that’s been propagated in the last 15 years. “A generation or two before us, a lot more people were growing up with original art in their homes, especially in places where we grew up like Wellington.” Opening the galley has also created a growing appreciation of contemporary art for people, says Dan. “People don’t just have to go to the art gallery and see one show by an artist once every 10 years. “They can live with the work. They can become more familiar and they can start following that artist’s practice.
“They then often end up developing a real passion for art. “That’s really rewarding, because it means that the appreciation increases.”
Being bold in the Bay Dan and Courtney met at art school, and Dan is still a practicing artist who shows at a gallery in New York. They moved to Tauranga from Melbourne eight years ago to bring up their two sons, and have no regrets about choosing Tauranga to set up Sumer. “We have a beautiful life here,” says Courtney. “Every time we make a comparison about being in a bigger city, getting eyes on the work, getting taken seriously and all that industry chatter that gives you doubts, we just sit in the backyard and go ‘this is lovely’.” Alisha Evans
Photo: John Borren
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˜˜August, 22 October, 2021 life+style The Weekend Sun 21 2015
Laser hair removal With warmer weather around the corner, this is the perfect time to address “what lies beneath” before we put away our winter woolies and haul out bikinis and shorts. In other words, it is time to declare war on every hair follicle that is not on our heads or eyebrows. Only if you want to of course - it is a personal choice. For me, I’m not happy unless I am hair free. Over the years I have regularly paid to be tortured - plucked, tweezed, waxed on every part of my body. One hair removal treatment I had not tried is laser, mainly as I thought it was expensive, and I wrongly supposed that it would be super painful. But the permanence of laser hair removal does appeal, so when a local beauty clinic came up with a two-for-one offer - where you can choose two areas of your body for hair removal for the price of one - I went for a consultation with Blaise, one of the laser specialists at the clinic who also has a great name for a laser therapist! In fact, I quickly discovered you can balance payments out over a period of time. When I looked at what it would cost me weekly, I noticed that it’s actually less than I was forking out in hair removal costs. Not only could I ditch the hassle of shaving and waxing, I would get lasting results that are actually very cost effective. You can choose to have any area of the body
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treated: face, neck and chest, arms and underarms, back, legs, stomach and bikini line/Brazilian. I opted for the two-for-one offer, selecting legs and Brazilian. When I’d had leg waxing in the past it was bearable pain, but when it comes to a Brazilian wax, although the results are great I dreaded going and would sometimes scream out in pain. So I had lots of questions for Blaise about pain levels. She explained that they start off with the laser at a lower power, so you can get used to it. I had heard it described as like the flicking of an elastic band, but that analogy wasn’t helpful as, thankfully, I have never been flicked by an elastic band - especially not between the legs! The initial consultation also includes an assessment of whether laser is right for you. The laser works by targeting colour in the hair shaft and follicle – so best results are with darker hair. For that reason, blonde, red and grey hairs cannot be removed. Some underlying medical conditions or medications may also exclude you from the treatment, so the initial consultation checks all of this as well, to assess your suitability.
What is laser hair removal? The clinic use diode laser, which shoots a beam of light through the targeted area where it’s absorbed by the pigment in the hair shaft and follicle. The heat loosens the hair and also disables the cells involved in hair growth to prevent future hairs from
˜˜ October, 22 2021 21 August, 2015
“Now at the end of my treatment, I am loving the results of having hairless, smooth skin. I am also looking forward to a summer where I don’t have to factor in hair removal when I am thinking of going to events or to the beach”
forming. They recommend having at least eight treatments, with each treatment performed around five-to-six weeks apart. Blaise explains that while I will be able to see results after the second or third treatment, the average person can expect to lose at least up to 80 per cent of body hair over the course of the treatment. Some people achieve up to 98 per cent, but each person is different depending on a number of factors, including age, hair type, hormone levels, existing medical conditions and other factors.
The sessions
To prepare for the first session, Blaise advises to shave the whole area. You also need to stay out of the sun and avoid tanning products before the treatment. Blaise and her colleague Rata, who also does laser therapy, are very calming. The treatment is carried out in one of the beauty rooms. Blaise preps the skin and marks out where she is going to put the laser, while I just lie back and pray that it is not going to hurt like hell. The good thing about the diode laser is that it has a cooling tip, making the treatment more comfortable. The legs were fairly painless, and although the Brazilian area was definitely a challenge at times - especially when we went
through the course and upped the power on the laser - it was less painful than a Brazilian wax. It is over quickly. I always brought my headphones and had a ‘laser playlist’ of songs to get through. The therapist can adjust the laser if you are finding it too painful, but I would say that as you go through the sessions it does become more comfortable. Afterwards, a cooling gel is applied and the therapist will give you post treatment advice which includes skipping the gym, pool and spa for 48 hours to avoid excess heat or sweating. My skin was a little pink after the session, but this went away quickly although it may last up to 24 hours. If it is pink or tender, you can apply a cold compress.
Results
Now at the end of my treatment, I am loving the results of having hairless, smooth skin. I am also looking forward to a summer where I don’t have to factor in hair removal when I am thinking of going to events or to the beach. I would definitely recommend it it is very cost effective, I felt very safe and reassured, and the levels of pain are easily manageable. Annemarie Quill
life+style The Weekend Sun
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˜˜August, October, 2021 life+style The Weekend Sun 2122 2015 Tony and Rhonda Harrington. Photos: John Borren.
Bountiful books Keeping Kiwi authors in the spotlight The Harringtons were looking forward to retiring to Tauranga, but they weren’t expecting to get bored. But instead of sitting idle, they set out to share their passion for books. In 2014, Tony and Rhonda Harrington started a business - Harrington x 2 - supplying books to schools, early childhood centres and colleges and becoming a conduit between publishers and schools. Rhonda spent her entire career as a teacher and principal, so starting a book business was an obvious choice that meant she could continue doing something she loved. This involved visiting education centres from Ōpōtiki to Waihi and sharing books written by New Zealand authors in both English and Te Reo Māori. They also took trips to Hawke’s Bay and the South Island to, as Tony puts it, “smouse books”. “There’s plenty of New Zealand literature around, but it’s not being promoted or used nearly as much as it should be,” says Rhonda. “That’s mainly because it is overseas literature that gets all the advertising promotion. “We have got some really excellent, first-class New Zealand authors who are doing wonderful stuff. “So I decided that we would sell New Zealand books to New Zealand schools for New Zealand children.”
Touting Te Reo
Rhonda and Tony also wanted to ensure Te Reo books were being heavily promoted, and sourced as many as possible from Kiwi authors as well as translations. Some of the titles translated into Māori they sold included The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and Harry Potter. Initially the selection was quite limited, but they worked closely with kohanga reo to find as many books in Te Reo as possible. Rhonda also convinced some publishers to print books in Māori. Harrington x 2 ended up with a catalogue of more than 5000 books, and Rhonda has read – or at the very least skim read – most of them. “Very few escaped me because I’m a fast and diligent reader,” laughs Rhonda. They stocked everything from picture books to historic non-fiction and young adult novels in both English and Te Reo, as well as Pasifika books. Rhonda spent countless hours researching and sourcing as many Kiwi books as possible, and before long the Harringtons became the people to go to if you wanted to find a New Zealand book.
Doing the mahi
Rhonda and Tony would travel hundreds of kilometres in a week to deliver their extensive library to schools, colleges or early childcare centres for them to browse. They’d leave books for a day or two so staff could peruse the collection. Tony says they developed this system because people in the centres didn’t have the time to spend
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Rhonda says it is sadly common practice when more room is needed. “Every school in New Zealand, when they need an extra space, closes the library and puts a class in,” she says.
The final chapter
Now in their 80s, Rhonda and Tony decided to fully retire in March this year. “This has been a wonderful adventure and I do miss it,” says Rhonda. Tony agrees. “We do miss it. You miss the people; you miss the contact. “I’ve really enjoyed meeting people and, of course, the relationship with the schools and how we were welcomed into them.” The Harringtons are hoping someone else will be interested in taking on the business and continue sharing the joy of Kiwi books. “You have to have a passion for books,” says Rhonda. Alisha Evans With a lot of people turning to technology and books becoming digital, the Harringtons were slightly worried at first, but soon realised children and teenagers still like books. “They want books,” says Tony. “They want the pages, and they want the smell. “They want to be able to go back pages and not have to battle trying to find the right spot on a screen.” Rhonda agrees, saying a child taking a book to bed is different than taking a laptop, tablet or eBook. “My grandson is turning 13 shortly,” says Rhonda, “and much as he loves his devices, it’s always a book he takes to bed. “Children do still read - they want to read.” One of the saddest things the pair experienced was when a school would have to close their library because they needed the space for a classroom, says Tony. “That is the saddest thing that we kept on coming across,” he says.
Holding fast to hard copies
life+style The Weekend Sun 7 ˜˜ October, 22 21 August,2021 2015
“There’s plenty of New Zealand literature around, but it’s not
being promoted or used nearly as much as it should be”
hours on a computer going through catalogues. “Staff, in conjunction with the librarian, would be able to go through and feel the books and see the pictures,” says Tony. “Many a time we’d get feedback, that they would order something and when it arrived it wasn’t exactly what they were hoping for if they hadn’t seen it prior.” They also sold books for libraries as well as class sets as resources.
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life+style The Weekend Sun 21 August, 2015
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