WONDAI REGIONAL ART GALLERY

Wondai was the first place to see Sense of Wonder and there was much excitement and anticipation surrounding its debut. It opened on the 6th December, 2014 and proved an immediate success for the small regional gallery. It closed on the 31st January, 2015 with visitors still coming in at 4pm.  Robyn and I were already considering the possibility of perhaps taking Sense of Wonder to maybe two places so the overwhelming enthusiasm at Wondai not only confirmed the idea, but expanded it. Sense of Wonder was set to travel.

We quickly realized we could not sell the artworks as we had done in Wondai because we wouldn’t have the time to replace them. It was decided to restrict sales to a few items such as individual mice, books, artist’s cards and such.  This meant that Wondai was the only place where all the artwork except for a few key pieces was available for sale. After that we took details of people who were interested in certain pieces from the exhibition. These people would then be contacted and the artwork sold when the tour completed in 2017.

It was at Wondai where the local artists and writers were invited to participate. Two areas were set aside for lots of simple but fun activities where people of all ages could let loose their own creativity. By the end the walls of these areas were adorned with drawings, writing and poetry.

INTERESTING FACT: Did you know Sense of Wonder almost didn’t happen at all? Termites were discovered in Wondai’s main gallery and it was shut for urgent repairs. It was just one week before opening night when the news came in that Sense of Wonder could go ahead on schedule. Phew!