The annual "Edge of the World’’ art exhibition opened in Waikawa Hall, Curio Bay, on Saturday featuring artists from across the country.
Southern District Arts Trust president Janice Broad said interest in the art show had built up in the last 20 years and, this year, they had over 300 entries to choose from.
She said art was good for the sometimes isolated rural community’s "wellbeing’’.
"Over the years a lot of people ... had never been to an art gallery and now they enjoy it and look forward to it,’’ she said.
As a precursor to the exhibition, the arts and craft group holds a limestone carving workshop every year.
This year’s version was led by Southland sculptor Stuart King.
About 15 of the limestone works will be exhibited in this year’s show.
Mrs Broad said every year the carvings just got better.
Featured in the exhibition are works by corrugated-iron artists Jeff Thompson and Regan Gentry, who created Dunedin’s public "molar’’ sculptures.
Each year special guest artists are invited to the show. This year they are West Coast weaver and fibre artist Anne Daniels and Morrinsville’s Bernadette Ballantyne, who makes detailed photo-realistic works with oil pastels.
There was also a dinner at the Niagara Cafe on Saturday night where the two guest artists gave a short presentation about their work.
The event runs in Waikawa Hall until Sunday, 9.30am-5pm.
