Committee members 2021 - 2022
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Belinda Vernon BCom, CMInstD - was co-opted to the Committee in December 2018, and was elected chair at the 2021 AGM. Belinda was deputy chair 2019 - 2021. She brings a range of useful skills from her background in accounting, management, volunteering, not-for-profits and politics. More adept with a spreadsheet than a paintbrush she is handy when it comes to filling in funding applications. She has responsibility for the Friends of Mangawhai Artists and was the leader of the team organising the 2019 Kaipara Art Awards. She is passionate about conservation, open water swimming, the arts and Mangawhai.
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Clare Wells QSO, Dip Tchg, PG Dip Ed, IODNZ - is our committee secretary. Having recently moved north from Wellington, Clare brings experience in governance and leadership having held a number of national roles in the public and community sectors. Completing 11 years as Chief Executive of NZ Kindergartens in 2019, Clare now works as a consultant - mostly in the education sector. She has a keen interest in the arts and enjoys contributing to our creative community. Clare was awarded the Companion of the Queen's Service Order (QSO), in the Queens Birthday Honours, 2020, "For services to early childhood education".
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Raewyn Vague MBA - is our new treasurer and is also the co-ordinator of the Mangawhai Artists Workshop Programme. Raewyn recently retired after owning her own company since 2002 and working as a Consultant Health Analyst of the Health System. She has worked for several District Health Boards and the University on a part-time basis over these years. Raewyn moved permanently to Mangawhai in 2004 after owning a caravan here for the previous 7 years. Raewyn's interests include: Tatting, Muka work (flax fibre), Crochet, Wood carving, Quilling, Mosaics, Darjit (sculpting), Silver Clay, Flax Weaving and Bone carving.
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Christine Den Hartogh as our gallery co-ordinator, is responsible for co-ordinating our exhibition season, helping artists to get ready for their exhibition and for the day-to-day running of the gallery. She is also our art trail co-ordinator. Christine is a Dutch documentary photographer and photojournalist who came to New Zealand in 2016. She studied art at the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam, media at Open Studios Amsterdam and photography at the Academy for Photography Amsterdam specialising in documentary photography and photojournalism. Chris has expanded her art journey into printmaking, surface pattern design, book art, botanical printing and abstract painting - refusing to be tied down to one discipline. Chris brings organisation skills and - in her own words - ".. .a considerable dose of plain straightforwardness ..." to the committee.
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Chris Cowley-Thomson has been in and around the community for some 7 years becoming a permanent resident in Mangawhai in the last 18 months. Living in Mangawhai has given her the opportunity as an artist to grow and sees being on the committee as an extension of that. For the majority of her working life she has been self employed in a family business and then later with her husband owning their own businesses. For the most part being in interior design as a colour consultant however the business management did take priority. Her successful business experience meant she has been able to take early retirement which has enabled her to indulge herself in her passion for art. Being on the committee is an opportunity to give a little time of herself to the art community of Mangawhai.
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Ann Connew NZRN Dip. Health Management - retired to Mangawhai after spending 20 years commuting between homes. Her career was predominately in health, working for the ADHB after completing training at Greenlane Hospital and consequently moving into leadership roles as Service Manager in various specialties in the public sector and the past 14 years as Service Manager for a 100-bed private hospital. Ann’s interest in art was rekindled after the permanent move to Mangawhai and joining MAI. and she has been a support volunteer for the committee in various roles.
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Marion Bilton retired to Mangawhai in 2016 following a 33 year partnership running a successful beauty therapy clinic on the North Shore, winning Guinot's Beauty Therapist of the Year and a trip to Paris. Marion was on the NZ Beauty Therapy Association committee being responsible for their newsletter. She has organised events including the Wilson Home jubilee and week-long events to celebrate Pupuke Golf Club centenary celebrations. Marion is a practising artist, exhibiting at the Mangawhai Gallery and Stylish Homes. She now feels it is time to give back to MAI, which has provided her with opportunities to develop her artistic skills and participate in various workshops. Marion has a passion of caring for people and hopes the skills she has learnt in business and on committees along with her love for art, will be useful in her new committee role. Marion is loving being back in Mangawhai , where she spent many happy childhood summer holidays.
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Howard Esler has had a property in Mangawhai for 28 years but since signing up for the gold card a year ago he's been living here full time and loving it. He has been making sculpture since childhood and rusty steel has always been the medium of choice. A mechanical engineer by profession, Howard regards art and engineering as pretty much the same thing. Other interests include visual arts in general, recycling and upcycling, conservation, engineering history, natural history, steam punk, pub quiz, Trackies and many more. He has a focus on passing on skills to any who are willing to learn and encouraging others to do the same. Howard is well used to being the token male on a committee having been on a good many over the last 45 years. Howard believes that putting a washing machine 30 feet up a tree is perfectly normal and can discuss the matter energetically for hours if required.
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Philippa Murray-Aynsley and her partner have lived in Mangawhai Heads for the last three years. They both loved the area with Pip having special memories of camping here as a child with her family. Pip has had a long career in sales with sales management roles for the last 20 years, mainly for clothing manufacturers. Now working 2 to 3 days a week in Matakana, she finally has the time to concentrate on her art and for the last 18 months has been taking commissions for her black and white oil painted portraits. Pip is looking forward to getting more involved with our wonderful Mangawhai Art Society
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Deb Hunter-Whitlock Dip VA was born in Auckland and moved to the top of the South Island in 1995 to ‘work on the land’ setting up a small flower growing business. Her life-long passion for art was calling and in 1999 she enrolled at the NMIT Art School in Nelson graduating with a 3 year Diploma in Visual Arts-major in painting. Since graduating Deb has continued to pursue her career in the arts sector painting and exhibiting. In 2001 Deb joined the Nelson Suter Art Society volunteering for 6 years as a committee member. She trained as a curator and manager and soon stepped into the role of exhibition officer/manager for NSAS. During this time Deb also worked part-time as a picture framer, and gallery assistant for Element Gallery, a dealer gallery in Nelson. In 2007 Deb worked as full time gallery manger for Refinery Artspace, Nelson. The Refinery Artspace was a community focused organisation with two art galleries, an outdoor sculpture garden, and a retail art space. Deb moved to Waipu Cove in 2015 with her husband and her small dog Spot. In 2019 an art studio was built on their property where Deb now works full time as an artist.
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