The History Of KOAST

KOAST History

KOAST was first held Labour Weekend 2014.  It was originally begun as an incorporated Society but during 2022, KOAST was merged into and is now run by the Bay of Islands Creative Charitable Trust.

The KOAST Inc 2014 to 2020 reports can be read below.  Unfortunately 2021 and 2022 KOAST did not go ahead due to the COVID Protection Framework settings.

KOAST – Tai Tokerau Art Trail 2025
The 2023 event was a huge success supported by local businesses, more than 200 artists and over 5000 visitors.

Kerikeri Open Art Studio Society 2014 – 2020 reports

2014
Over 50 artists exhibited their work for sale at 31 studios and galleries around Kerikeri and Waipapa. The trail was a roaring success, judging from the comments of guests and artists alike.  4 guest artists featured – Shiela Blackburn, a ceramic artists; Heike Schaefer, embroidery artist; M. Francis McCarthy, tonalist painter; and Agnes Hauptli, master weaver. Geraldine Hore, etcher and painter, was the Student of Merit, who graduated from Kerikeri’s NorthTec Art programme. We were grateful for the tremendous support the first trail received from the community in the way of advertising donors, raffle prize donations and trail goers.

2015 
The second KOAST was held over Labour Weekend 2015 and was  even better than our first year! We had 15 new artists participate and our guests were Peter Brammer, Julie Cromwell, Andy Morrison, and Ailie Snow. Our Student of Merit from Northtec was Jane Molloy Wolt.

2016 
Our third annual Art Trail was held on October 22-24 2016 and was again a big success.  We had 26 stops and 45 artists exhibiting and listed in our trail guide. Our guest artists were Pauline Gough, a painter from Dargaville, Rob Campion, a painter and tutor, and The Kaikohehoke Weavers (5-6 weavers), headed by Bebe Bourke from Kaikohe. We had 4 group Venues and 6 artists sharing their studio space.

2017 
Our fourth annual KOAST Art Trail was held on October 21-23 2017 and was a wonderful success with over 40 artists/exhibitors.

2018 
Our fifth annual KOAST Art Trail was held on October20-22 2018 and was a fantastic success with over 60 artists/exhibitors.  It was wonderful to see so many newcomers visiting the Trail and also to meet many more planning to shift this coming year.  This included several artists new to the area, who expressed interest in taking part next year.  Guest artists were Allan Gale, Charlotte Scott, Brad Walters, The Kaikohe Weavers, Rudy van der Pol, Many Wood, and Jackson Ansted.

2019 
Our sixth annual KOAST Art Trail was held on Labour Weekend 2019 and was again a wonderful success with over 70 artists/exhibitors including many new to KOAST and to Kerikeri.  Lots of newcomers  also visited the trail together with returning visitors. We had really great feedback about the Trail, and about Kerikeri itself, from those visitors from out of town.  Our guest artists were Greg Barron, Di West, Pete Cernis and Judy Woods.

2020 
What would have been the seventh KOAST art trail was cancelled due to the uncertainty surrounding COVID.

2021 
Cancelled due to COVID Framework settings.

Bay of Islands Creative Charitable Trust reports

 2022
Cancelled due to COVID Framework settings.

2023
The eighth trail was a huge success with over 4000 visitors attending and 143 artists taking part in 40 venues, and 7 galleries we well as working studios and collective art hubs.  This was the first year the art trail was run under the auspices of the Bay of Islands Creative Charitable Trust.

2024
Cancelled due to funding availability.

2025
The 9th trail was a huge success with over 5000 visitors attending and more than 200 artists taking part in 47 venues, including 13 galleries as well as cultural localtions, working studios and collective art hubs.