The inaugural Boon Sculpture Trail runs until 31 March, bringing together 26 artists from across Aotearoa to create and install 23 temporary outdoor sculptures in Kirikiriroa Hamilton—including virtual and performance pieces—spread over eight public sites.

Boon Sculpture Trail was founded by Nancy Caiger—art critic, collector, and philanthropist. She has had significant involvement in the arts community for the past 25 years, from the Hamilton Community Arts Council, ArtNexus, being a founding trustee of MESH Sculpture Hamilton and currently a trustee of Boon. Nancy is a great traveller and has always been interested in art in public spaces. On her travels she would see the sculpture trails of other cities and “go green with envy thinking, why can’t we have something like that in Hamilton?” After speaking to Boon she joined their trust in 2018, with this ambition in mind.

Curator Claire Ulenberg says: “I was excited to be invited by Boon to work again in Kirikiriroa. The artists have transformed and activated this urban environment. Responding to the theme of ‘this place’. The Kaupapa was to provide new opportunities for storytelling. The works speak to this theme and location with their use of colour, and texture, I hope the works spark critical thinking and inspire and stimulate questions. For some of these artists, it is their first foray into sculpture after being known in the visual arts for painting or drawing such as Peata Larkin, or Paul Darragh or some artists who are still early in making large-scale sculptures for public projects such as Te Rongo Kirkwood, who is predominantly known for her work in glass, to contrast with artists who have a background of making and exhibiting outdoor sculpture such as Natalie Guy, Chris Moore, Louise McRae or Ben Pearce. We believe art has the power to transform, to awe and to transport us to places we might have only previously imagined”

The arts feast doesn’t stop there, with many collaborating galleries including WSA ArtsPost Galleries, Waikato Museum, Blue Gallery, Hanrad Bespoke Rugs, Nancy Caiger Gallery, RAMP Gallery, and Welcome Swallow Gallery.

For the duration of the trail, WSA ArtsPost Galleries are presenting the Our Place small sculpture exhibition, an exhibition of small sculptural work, presented by a selection of Boon Sculpture Trail artists. From glazed ceramics to wood and wool, and everything in between, Our Place celebrates sculpture that you can take home.

Situated within a close-knit Hamilton community, it was important to Caiger to increase the reach of the event through varied curated tours which can be booked via Eventfinda: “We are the only sculpture trail in Aotearoa New Zealand to offer free tours, in six different languages: English, Te Reo Māori, New Zealand Sign Language, Mandarin, Spanish and Arabic.”

A wider network of events—including the Hamilton Arts Festival, the Chinese Lantern Festival, and Balloons Over Waikato—will take place throughout the Boon Sculpture Trail, transforming Hamilton central into an  unmissable art and culture centre and destination for everyone to enjoy.

Boon Sculpture Trail has been delivered by Hamilton Arts Trust, AKA Boon Arts—a household name who have successfully delivered the Boon Street Art Festival, Boon After Dark, and more, over the last several years. Boon Sculpture Trail has been made possible due to the support of funders, sponsors, and key stakeholders.