Creative and artist Gary Baseman was down at the Tauranga Art Gallery early this afternoon. There was a queue at the poster signing table.
In fact this afternoon when I made a flying visit to the Gallery it was ticking and buzzing. People everywhere. 
And, any of the original donors and contemporary territorial authority funders would have been delighted by the number of children in the Gallery today.
The exhibition of Baseman’s work is so comprehensive and busy you’ll need to make sure you have sufficient time to take it all in. This afternoon all I got to do was lick the ice cream but not eat it! Here’s just a tiny peek at what’s in the main downstairs’ Gallery – so many of Baseman’s “Imaginary Friends”. 
And keeping all this fun, excitement, colour and pattern in its place….
The current Tauranga exhibition series is titled “Mega World” and “Imaginary Friends” is just a part of it. Two things made my day today. First that Schiaparelli-pink staircase.
And the second. As I’m leaving, outside on the pavement, a Mum with two young boys is asking them to tell her the two rules for being in an Art Gallery. I can’t tell you the second (I didn’t hear it) but the first was “Don’t Run”. You will want to run when you get in the Gallery at the moment. It’s total zing. 
Rosemary Balu. 
Rosemary Balu is the founding and current Managing Editor of ARTbop. Rosemary has arts and law degrees from the University of Auckland. She has been a working lawyer and has participated in a wide variety of community activities where information gathering, submission writing, community advocacy and education have been involved. Interested in all forms of the arts since childhood Rosemary is focused on further developing and expanding multi-media ARTbop as the magazine for all the creative arts in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand.
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