Eleanor Rarity16:38, May 16 2019

WuHoo Timaru co-founder Roselyn Fauth and her father Geoff Cloake, both Friends of the Aigantighe Art Gallery, are planning on expanding their South Canterbury history and art decoration project. They are pictured with Fauth's daughter Medinella Fauth, 4.

Stories and images reflecting the region's history may soon be on display in more parts of South Canterbury as a Timaru community group looks to expand its work.

WuHoo​ Timaru is considering adding up to 35 more sites to its installation project of reproductions of artworks from the Aigantighe Art Gallery's permanent collection now at five spots throughout Timaru.

In March, the five pilot signs were officially launched, dotted along Caroline Bay and Patiti Point. The signs show what the site looked like in the past or relates to the surroundings.

Spokesperson Roselyn Fauth​ said the community's feedback had been "surprisingly good", and she, along with father Geoff Cloake were now looking to venture further afield to Temuka, Pleasant Point, Geraldine, and the Mackenzie Country.

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Medinella Fauth, 4, stands with one of the signs at Caroline Bay, which feature a piece of artwork from the Aigantighe Art Gallery's permanent collection. - JOHN BISSET/STUFF

 

"We're just so lucky we've got an awesome amount of artwork. We are certainly not short of materials," she said.

The project is a collaborative effort with the Aigantighe Art Gallery, which provided the paintings, and the South Canterbury Museum, which helped uncover the stories behind them, the Friends of the Aigantighe and WuHoo. The pair are both members of the Friends group and Roselyn, and husband Chris Fauth, are the founders of WuHoo.

One of Fauth's​ next ideas is to tell the story of Timaru's first breakwater, including the person who opposed the idea - engineer John Blackett, who designed Timaru's Blackett's Lighthouse.

"The town was so enraged that they created an effigy of him, carried it down the main street and to the edge of the breakwater, and burnt it."

PrimePort Timaru have come on board to help put the sign up, possibly at the foot of the pedestrian bridge by the breakwater.

Fauth said she was "over the moon" with the offers of donations they have received towards the project.

Cloake said the signs helped people imagine how life was when the image was drawn or painted.

"This few 100 metres down here [Caroline Bay] was where it all happened in South Canterbury," he said.

His next plan was to create a three dimensional model of the Marine Parade walk, and have the story of South Canterbury on the WuHoo​ website.

This week we talk to the Fauths, the creators and admins (and testers) of their amazing voluntary initiative - WuHoo Timaru.

We asked what it is that they LOVE about living in Timaru City:

"We love finding free family fun in Timaru, spying starfish in rock pools, observing the changing beaches, hiding painted rocks, looking for bananas at the botanic gardens, visiting the gallery, library and museum and making scavenger hunts to inspire others to explore and celebrate our district."

Wuhoo Timaru

If you haven’t already, be sure to Facebook follow Wuhootimaru.  Fun free activities that can be completed at any time. Think free family fun, scavenger hunts, colourful fact sheets, and just getting the whanau out and about and enjoying this amazing city - for free and unplugged.

www.aorakitourism.co.nz/free-family-fun-at-its-best

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ESSENCE MAGAZINE - Gilly Oppenheim
Sept 2019

Looking for free fun in Timaru? Find a Wuhoo!

Roselyn Fauth, her husband Chris and her father Geoff Cloake are the brains behind this initiative. This young mum is brimming with ideas to get people, both young and old, off the couch and into the local community to appreciate just what Timaru has to offer. “This creative outlet is bringing our community together, and helping others in ways they never imagined,” said Roselyn. “From getting families outside into the fresh air for a modern-day treasure hunt, to giving kids and adults of all ages and abilities a new creative hobby, a sense of belonging and pride in our community.” Roselyn stresses that Wuhoo is very much a collaborative venture. She has had wonderful support from the Timaru District Council, the Library, the South Canterbury Museum, the Aigantighe Art gallery and community groups.

The first initiative was TimaruRocks. This group was established in 2017 to help spread the craze which sees participants paint rocks and hide them in public places for others to find, re-hide or keep. They might be found under picnic tables, hiding at the foot of trees in reserves or alongside the sculptures in the garden around the Art Gallery. The community rock boxes, which contain paints and brushes have so far been used by over 2400 residents at South Canterbury primary and secondary schools, retirement homes, community groups, Children’s Day, the Rose Festival and the South Canterbury District Health Board.

Another initiative has been the popular Scavenger Hunts at the Timaru Botanic Gardens. Besides giving a brief history of the Botanic Gardens, there is an excellent annotated map and a myriad of fun and interesting activities to do. The informative activity sheets can be picked up from the Fernery in the gardens or at the TDC, Library, Museum, Information Centre or Aigantighe Art Gallery.

The newest initiative is celebrating art in our environment. The Aigantighe Art Gallery, the Friends of Aigantighe and Wuhoo Timaru have launched a new programme to get artworks out into the community and the environments that inspired them. In December 2018 the first five signs were installed at Caroline Bay and at Patiti Point. They feature artworks from the Aigantighe Art Gallery Permanent Collection that relate to the signs and their surroundings. The signs also include explanatory text and historical images from the South Canterbury Museum’s collection, giving the artworks greater context. Examples at Caroline Bay are William Green’s The Unemployed (a painting of the well-known donkeys that gave rides on Caroline Bay) and William Gibb’s painting of Timaru Harbour in 1888. Another Green painting entitled The Roadmakers (horses ploughing a road near the sea), can be found at Patiti Point, along with a painting by John L Higgs, which depicts the scene looking north towards central Timaru and the harbour in 1881 and William Ferrier’s Breakwater, Timaru, Running in a Southerly Gale in 1888.

The next round of signs are nearing completion and it is hoped to have the next three in the ground by October. The Friends of the Aigantighe Art Gallery have commissioned their first artwork to give a contemporary reflection on Timaru’s unique past for the Wuhoo signs. The painting has been created by local artist Mike Armstrong. This is a fantastic way to support our local artists.

Roselyn really enjoys the challenge of designing things and the discovery of our history thanks to the book Jubilee History of South Canterbury by Johannes C Anderson. “My goal is to celebrate what our district has to offer, encourage people to use it and to give some free family fun to our locals and visitors”. What a wonderful philosophy!

January 24, 2019

Coastal view . . . Roselyn Fauth and baby Annabelle (3 months) at the site of John Gibb's 1884 painting of the Timaru coastline. PHOTO: CHRIS TOBIN

Reproductions of artworks from the Aigantighe Art Gallery’s permanent collection are featuring along Timaru’s coastline. Five signs have been installed from Caroline Bay to Patiti Point. “These five will test it to get feedback,” said Roselyn Fauth, of WuHoo Timaru, who, along with husband Chris Fauth, initiated the idea and then worked in conjunction with the art gallery, the Friends of Aigantighe and local businesses to make it possible.

Read more ...

ELEANOR RARITY
Last updated 12:54, July 18 2018

Timaru's youngest citizens have a new adventure.

The initiative, begun by the WuHoo​ team Roselyn​ and Chris Fauth​, provides children with seven challenges they can complete throughout different areas of the town's Botanic Gardens.

"It can be purely a self guide, or [children] can complete one or all seven of the challenges," Roselyn​ Fauth​ said.

WuHoo​ Timaru is a voluntary organisation that aims to find and showcase fun things to do in the town. Previous events include Timaru Rocks, which Fauth described as "really, really popular", along with regular scavenger and sculpture hunts.

Doing something with the gardens was a natural choice, as it provided lots of ideas for activities, and was something that the Fauths' three year old daughter would also enjoy.

"[It's] something that's family friendly, gets people outside, doesn't cost anything, and can be done anytime."

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ABOVE: MYTCHALL BRANSGROVE/STUFF. WuHoo Timaru and the Botanic Gardens have teamed up to create an activity map for children and families to explore. Pictured are Medinella Fauth, 3, with her parents and WuHoo Timaru founders Roselyn and Chris Fauth.

 

The map has activities on both sides, with the first side including I Spy and a give a tree a hug challenge, which Fauth​ thought would be "quite good for the two year olds, pre-schooler age".

On the flip side, children could do a seed search, which involved understanding how plants reproduce, and bush bingo. There is also a code breaker, which reveals the name of the monkey that used to live at the gardens, Fauth​ said.

This challenge, Fauth​ said is "quite advanced, so an adult will need to help."

Much to Fauth's​ surprise, the map has already proved quite popular, with the first 60 at the gardens' fernery gone by Sunday. The Aigantighe​ Art Gallery, who were also provided some, had only three copies left on Tuesday.

Timaru District Council (TDC) parks and recreation manager Bill Steans​ said that the idea, and response, was great.

"Our botanic gardens were recently named as one of New Zealand's gardens of national significance, and ideas such as this that bring a new generation to learn about what we have on display has to be congratuated."

Maps are also available the Timaru Information Centre, Timaru District Library, and South Canterbury Museum.

- Stuff

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