A council policy change is threatening to end a 15-20 year tradition of Art if the Park exhibitions at Coronation Park in Mount Maunganui.
The roadside art exhibitions are being charged a $250 fee under Operation of Markets and Stalls Policy adopted by Tauranga City Council on 17 September 2012.
Roadside art exhibitors are being charged $250 fee by the Council.
Under the new policy the Society of Artists exhibitions where they exhibit paintings for sale, is a commercial trading activity requiring a fee to be paid.
Most of the exhibiting artists are pensioners selling off the occasional work to pay for their paints and pastels. They are unable to afford the fee. Their concern is it will finish off the Art if the Park days for good.
Under the council rules the Tauranga Society of Artists is facing a total bill of $3,250 for the 13 Art in the Park days scheduled for 2013.
While individual artists have expressed private concerns none of the society's officers contacted by SunLive wanted to speak on the record, referring comment to society secretary Pat Capill.
She rebuffed a request for comment saying that even though the long standing community exhibitions are held on public land, it is not public business.
'The society is working on it within its own methods at the moment and we have got no comment to make,” says Pat.
25 comments
fair enough
Posted on 11-01-2013 15:52 | By roger1
I have no problem with the charge,we sell art and other products through our place and we have to pay rates and a raft of other charges,half of the problem is these people are too tight to pay a commision to a gallery or such,go ahead charge them
Pay or go
Posted on 11-01-2013 15:54 | By gothebay
This amount is very reasonable, you cant just expect to use council land and not pay anything, and use the land when Tauranga citizens cannot whilst this exhibition is on! It looks like Tauranga Society of Artists have a annual subcribtion to join their society, do forward the monies taken from that to fund the council fee. I'm sure the socitey also takes a commission on paintings sold! It is a privilage to sell your paintings on council owned land, not a right! Its our land too.
Well ok then!!
Posted on 11-01-2013 16:33 | By Sambo
How come the "Sea Food" festival tomorrow, can close Dive Crescent, take up all the car parking, (my business suffers from lack of parking directly in front of my premises) all for their own commercial gain?, do they pay a stipend to the Council, and do I put in a claim for lost revenue?. I would like to know who is paying for all the set up costs etc, if the Council is subsidising a commercial enterprise,( these people are not doing it for love)I will be very unhappy, and next weekend may close of the road in front of my place, and hold my own festival. The swing has to swing both ways.!!!
Money comes money goes
Posted on 11-01-2013 16:44 | By adyhutch
Typical for Tauranga, you have people giving their time to help enhance the area by showing their talents. As the article says, they use the money made to buy more materials. Is this not helping local businesses? Ok so they take up a bit of room for a few days a year. I for one would prefer to see a bit of colour being presented in the form of pictures as I expect, would the thousands of visitors coming off the ships! Stop trying to turn this town into the hub of boring in New Zealand!
untitled
Posted on 11-01-2013 17:08 | By whatsinaname
typical. ruin and stop anything that brings pleasure to people...................
What's next..
Posted on 11-01-2013 17:19 | By Batty
we pay tolls to walk on footpaths too? Wouldn't surprise me at all. It is really over the top. Specially when to buy a space at a market / boot sale the fees are way way less and fair. I would imagine there would be money money made at Boots sales etc than a few paintings which get sold. Real paintings are so much more worthy a look than graffiti, the likes of that hideous eyesore / old shell servo out Welcome Bay way and such like else where..
$250 divided between the sellers is cheap
Posted on 11-01-2013 17:57 | By Phailed
So they can afford the canvas and paint and they can afford to charge people for their paintings but they can't afford a few dollars each seller to help maintain the park??? They use the money to buy more materials, really? Well some of the money but there will be a profit as well. If they can ask the public to buy their "art" then they can pay something towards the park.
Please
Posted on 11-01-2013 19:01 | By Accountable
Sambo write to the Council with your concerns as they appear to think closing off the streets in Dive Crescent or any where else in the CBD doesn't affect the businesses.The businesses in the CBD need to step up and take control of their destiny instead of leaving it to council who appear to do anything for anybody except the CBD.
untitled
Posted on 11-01-2013 21:13 | By dgk
Sure, let any business set themselves up on council land for free. As long as they add colour or serve the ships/port then she'll be right mate. I'm sure ratepayers wont mind paying to clean up any resulting mess or fix any damage.
typical council
Posted on 11-01-2013 21:53 | By vinniz
seems typical that the new rules are more revenue gathering than keeping the life blood of the mount and any culture, try getting a hawkers license instead, one could cover everyone with a little bit of thought. A bit off topic .Any chance anyone else is annoyed with the concrete jungle of the new mount main beach and all the vans and traders taking up about 15 car parks when mount drurys grassed area is vacant. Lets get someone in council to see some sense and listen to the people about what affects us.
LADY DI HOURS
Posted on 12-01-2013 01:25 | By Crash test dummies
At the Art Gallery, at best 10am to 4.30pm daily, what a live they lead, like that is a real job, come on folks this is nothing more than a holiday park when they are paid to be there at our expense.
You kidding me
Posted on 12-01-2013 08:45 | By Johnney
The council should be paying the artists that add vibrancy and colour to the town. Do the charge surf lifesaving for all the event held, the organizers of all the triathlons in Pilot Bay etc. Would be interested to know!! What about all the fruit stalls along Maunganui Rd just down from a rate paying all year round fruit and vege shop.
what is wrong with councils these days??
Posted on 12-01-2013 09:03 | By Tyraone
Because a few folk who want tomake a little extra by selling a few paintings and are doing no harm to anyone else or the enviroment. the councils then gets money hungry and decides to slap a fee on to these folk who have been doing this kind of marketing for years. Shame on the council!!!!! Personally I have absolutely no respect for councillors when the feel like it the grant themselves a wage rise with a feeble excuse to the reason why!! While the rest of us are struggling to meet the cost of living these days I would like to see the councillors try and live on a lower income and see how they get on?
But is it art???
Posted on 12-01-2013 09:35 | By Gee Really
That aside, it is a colourful spectacle and would be a shame to see it go (perhaps just a threat anyway?). But anyone using a park or reserve or the street for a commercial venture should contribute something surely?
Next ...
Posted on 12-01-2013 10:05 | By Murray.Guy
... on our hit list are buskers, $250 per day per each, followed by any and all clubs and organisations (not for profit, charitable or otherwise) that occupy public space (including parks and reserves) and sell services and or products. In the meantime we'll ignore the many many organisations that occupy community owned land and buildings, many 352 days a year, for peppercorn rentals, some in perpetuity!
HYPOCRACY
Posted on 12-01-2013 11:05 | By TERMITE
Agree MURRAY and GEE REALLY, if money earning/commercial type activities are going on there 1 or 352 days a year then they should pay a fair rent. If they were not on Council land they would have to pay rent so nothing wrong with it at all. But I think that clubs and the like seeking to raise money to run the club (The Arty crowd here are personally profiting) then that is ok, it all comes down to a simple idea, If it is for personal gain then they pay, if for non profit then no problem to use public space.
Just to split hairs ..
Posted on 12-01-2013 11:44 | By Batty
here.Does this mean all the kids who sit out on the verge selling, for their own pocket money, ( profit), the odd bag of feijoas, fruit, nuts, horse poo etc are about to be penalised with a hefty fee to the Council.... Just asking.
contempt
Posted on 12-01-2013 13:23 | By Captain Sensible
Not long ago, there was an alcohol ban at the main beach all the way to Grove Ave (?), BUT, there was one only place where alcohol was served ....which was run by a councillor! Only he got the licence to sell (at extortionate rates). This council are actually traitors to us mug rate payers. I have nothing but the same contempt for them as they have for democracy and fairness, our local MP, and all the others with their snouts forever in the public trough.
@ Captain Sensible
Posted on 14-01-2013 13:14 | By YOGI
Cal the the benefit of being in the system and knowing where all the "good oil" is.
C'mon Councillors !!
Posted on 14-01-2013 20:59 | By carpedeum
For goodness sake- get some perspecitve on this !!!! What is wrong with you ?????This is part of the flaviyr.colour of the place. What will you replace it with >>>
LOOK FOR TCC REVENUE
Posted on 16-01-2013 00:01 | By PLONKER
The big plan here is to get TCC's controlled organisations into position of a monopoly, Tourism BOP did that on the wharf now the Art Gallery is calling in its master to help out now.
FUN POLICE & FITH COUNCIL
Posted on 18-01-2013 11:19 | By POCO O POCO
OK it does have a commercial aspect but I seriously doubt that sellers make anything out of it and it does attract a crowd which would be a spin off for the downtown Mount shops.For heavens sake lets get some common sense into the equation ( sorry I forgot TCC was involved). Why did TCC bother to construct a very expensive massive aggregate footpath the size of a small roadway along Maunganui Road in front of Coronation Park. Incidentally what does TCC charge the occupiers of community gardens @ Otumoetai and May St. Reserve MOUNT.IT is the case of the wasters of megabucks trying to recover peanuts.
TAX AGAIN
Posted on 21-01-2013 23:27 | By Can do it
This is not a 'fee' IT IS just another word for TAX
????
Posted on 29-01-2013 12:53 | By penguin
Next ... Posted on 12-01-2013 10:05 | By murray.guy I'm not sure,Murray, if you are being cyinical towards your fellow councillors or serious. Hopefully the former. If not, then you are a very sad man....
council
Posted on 05-02-2013 22:17 | By Patsy
About time the Mount got their own council again. Council is in need of a big reshuffle.art is displayed publically for free all over the world.are they going to charge a homeless person for sleeping on a park bench in the park.
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