Karen Blennerhassett, a staff of Auckland Art Week, visited Fo Guang Yuan (FGY) Art Gallery Auckland on August 13th to discuss the Art Week with Venerable Rulian, Vicky and Karzin.
This year, Auckland Art Week will be held from October 9th to 17th, and FGY Art Gallery has also signed up to participate in this event. Over 80,000 people participate in this event annually, creating good opportunities for local artists and art lovers. Karen contacted FGY few days ago and asked if the Temple would like to participate in the guided tour and suggested that two guided tours to be held at the opening of The 5th Art Salon.
Vicky introduced the Treasure of Nature Enlighten You Photography Exhibition by Toney Su that is currently on display. Abbess Manshin loves supporting young and talented artists, offering young people a platform to realise their dreams and sharing their works with the local community. The Temple is an art gallery, providing a platform for artists to share their creations. Vicky also introduced the art salon activities that have been held for five consecutive years, which injected a variety of elements into the local art market. The artists were invited to educate and promote, which received numerous positive feedbacks.
Karen said that it was the first time she had been in the Temple, and she felt that the building, courtyard, and artwork were a unique combination. She felt very peaceful and comfortable by being at the Temple. She is looking forward to bringing more people to visit the Temple during Art Week. Karen also admired the Abbess’ flower arrangements, which add colours to the photography exhibition. She was also surprised to see the photos from the BLIA event report. It was amazing to see how the Temple is connected to the community and supporting local artists.
Venerable Rulian also introduced the Cloud Corner, which was created to support local markets. Karen said that the Temple always supports the community and makes the public feel the warmth from the Temple. She also introduced the Pagoda, a fusion of ancient and modern art and said that the Temple is operated full-heartedly, and everyone can feel the tranquillity during their visit. Venerable Rulian also presented the 2022 Auckland and Christchurch Temple calendar and 2021 BLIA Activity Report to Karen and welcomed her to take her family and friends to revisit the Temple.