Hynds Foundation trustee Leonie Hynds leads a welcome for Artist Resident Emma Stretch (left).
ARTIST RESIDENCY
ARRIVAL
By Emma Stretch
The approximately 1300km drive from Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland to Ōamaru was completed in 3 days, with my Dad as co-driver.
It was long, and apart from a stop at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, which was full of great exhibitions, I was focused on my arrival in Ōamaru.
My foundry tour on the first day exceeded any idea I had of how vast it would be. I struggled to process the 100-odd years of histories, machinery, objects and sheer space presented before me. Later in the week, I was introduced to the art scene here with the welcome event, and everyone was so warm and eager to connect.
It is officially week three, and I am finding a rhythm, walking most mornings before arriving in the studio to retrace my steps. We are preparing for a pour soon, which will fully unlock the true experience of the residency and the making of the work.
I’m enjoying that every establishment serves a gluten-free beer, and I’m returning to the Forrester Gallery, the library, and the waterfront over and over. Weekends so far have been spent at Kakanui Beach and Herbert’s vintage store, as well as plenty of reading.
Kindest, Emma
An exhibition from Emma's residency will be held in the Crucible Gallery from 13-15 November 2026, coinciding with Ōamaru's Victorian Heritage Celebrations.
GALLERY
UPCOMING: WAITAKI ARTS FESTIVAL
The Waitaki Arts Festival runs across 10 days from Friday 16 October to Sunday 25 October. Crucible Artist Resident Emma Stretch and local artist Katherine Kovacs will share work as part of the festival, in an exhibition entitled Step Inside the Crucible. Katherine is also the on-site coordinator of the Crucible Artist Residency and has a wealth of knowledge about traditional craftsmanship and technical foundry processes that bring work into being. Emma will hold an Open Studio to allow visitors to experience works in progress.
Also on view are works by Crucible Artist Residency alumni John Ward Knox and Motoko Kikkawa. The exhibition represents the breadth of artistic practices fostered in the residency and community.
Sunday 25 October
Galleries open from 10am to 3pm
Artist Talks at 1130am (Katherine Kovacs) and 130pm (Emma Stretch)
The Forrester Galley exhibition, Mahi, Toi: Part One, explores the relationship between art in work and work in art. Curated by Anna McLean, it considers how creativity and labour are integrated, by exploring themes of extraction, effort, maintenance, repetition and care. Diverse artefacts tell deeply moving stories of workers and their workplaces.
An exhibition image of Gillies foundryman Peter MacDonald, captured in @1993 by photographer Anthony McKee.
WORK WITH US
The North Otago Foundry was established on Tyne Street, Ōamaru in 1924, later to be bought by GT Gillies in 1943. In 2006, it became Gillies Metaltech following the acquisition by Hynds Group. The Hynds family began to repurpose foundry spaces for the arts and in 2024 established the Crucible Artist Residency programme through the Hynds Foundation. The repurposed foundry Pattern Shop has become a home for artists with studio spaces and resources to support sculptural practices. Adjacent gallery spaces provide options for exhibitions and residency acquisitions. The Gillies Metaltech foundry offers cast iron, ductile iron, bronze and brass capability. If you have a project in mind - sculpture, architectural commission or an idea taking shape - we welcome early conversations.
