Photographer, Jenna Smith, stands beside her work in the window of Quirky Fox.
Vicki Fox didn’t set out to start a gallery. For many years, she had been working as a librarian; but faced with some difficult work arrangements and the potential of having to travel 80km each day to work between two different branch libraries, her self-employed parents encouraged her to start her own business.
Located in Hawera, in South Taranaki, Quirky Fox opened as a design and gift shop, with a small range of artworks included amongst the products.
“I had commercial giftware that you tend to see in every gift shop up and down the country, but I got sick of seeing the same thing in every shop, so set out to showcase something a little bit different.”
It wasn’t long before Fox found that working with independent artists and designers was far more rewarding than selling commercially produced items so decided to begin a slow transition towards becoming a gallery. “I quickly discovered that picking items out of a catalogue wasn’t something I wanted to do long term. There wasn’t a challenge in it and I knew I would quickly become bored.”
“I was very lucky to come across Justine Hawksworth and Santie Cronje during the first few months of business. The pair have become good friends and have guided me through some of the tricky parts of becoming a gallery. The pair showcased their work alongside a local artist for my first exhibition.”
For Fox, developing confidence in her new venture was challenging at times. “As someone with no background in art and no artistic ability of my own, for a long time I felt like an imposter referring to the shop as a gallery.”
“It has only been in the last year that I have felt able to call Quirky Fox a gallery rather than a design store or gift shop and that has largely been thanks to the artists I work with encouraging me to do so as well as many of my customers referring to it that way.”
The Quirky Fox space is compact, but well appointed to exhibit work. An exposed brick wall and steel beams on one side and a large white wall the other form the perfect backdrop for a variety of artists that have included Jane Crisp, Ben Timmins and Gillian Buckley.
As well as showcasing work from established artists, Quirky Fox is well placed to support emerging creative talents and watching artists and designers starting out, pushing their boundaries and become recognised has been a particular highlight for Fox.
Each month, Quirky Fox introduces a new artist or designer and holds new exhibitions approximately every five weeks. The most interesting of these exhibitions is perhaps their annual birthday exhibition that shows from 26 artists in an A to Z format.
The gallery’s current exhibition showcases the work of internationally renowned artist Carne Griffiths, who has been commissioned by the likes of Microsoft, Ibis Hotels and The New York Observer.
Quirky Fox is open from 9.30 to 5pm on Weekdays, and 10am to 12pm on Saturdays. You’ll find it at 205a High Street, Hawera and online at quirkyfox.co.nz.
Located in Hawera, in South Taranaki, Quirky Fox opened as a design and gift shop, with a small range of artworks included amongst the products.
“I had commercial giftware that you tend to see in every gift shop up and down the country, but I got sick of seeing the same thing in every shop, so set out to showcase something a little bit different.”
It wasn’t long before Fox found that working with independent artists and designers was far more rewarding than selling commercially produced items so decided to begin a slow transition towards becoming a gallery. “I quickly discovered that picking items out of a catalogue wasn’t something I wanted to do long term. There wasn’t a challenge in it and I knew I would quickly become bored.”
“I was very lucky to come across Justine Hawksworth and Santie Cronje during the first few months of business. The pair have become good friends and have guided me through some of the tricky parts of becoming a gallery. The pair showcased their work alongside a local artist for my first exhibition.”
For Fox, developing confidence in her new venture was challenging at times. “As someone with no background in art and no artistic ability of my own, for a long time I felt like an imposter referring to the shop as a gallery.”
“It has only been in the last year that I have felt able to call Quirky Fox a gallery rather than a design store or gift shop and that has largely been thanks to the artists I work with encouraging me to do so as well as many of my customers referring to it that way.”
The Quirky Fox space is compact, but well appointed to exhibit work. An exposed brick wall and steel beams on one side and a large white wall the other form the perfect backdrop for a variety of artists that have included Jane Crisp, Ben Timmins and Gillian Buckley.
As well as showcasing work from established artists, Quirky Fox is well placed to support emerging creative talents and watching artists and designers starting out, pushing their boundaries and become recognised has been a particular highlight for Fox.
Each month, Quirky Fox introduces a new artist or designer and holds new exhibitions approximately every five weeks. The most interesting of these exhibitions is perhaps their annual birthday exhibition that shows from 26 artists in an A to Z format.
The gallery’s current exhibition showcases the work of internationally renowned artist Carne Griffiths, who has been commissioned by the likes of Microsoft, Ibis Hotels and The New York Observer.
Quirky Fox is open from 9.30 to 5pm on Weekdays, and 10am to 12pm on Saturdays. You’ll find it at 205a High Street, Hawera and online at quirkyfox.co.nz.
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