Auckland's new LGBT OurFest begins with art, a Tea Dance and a 'Mystery Meander' this weekend. Tomorrow (Saturday) sees the opening of the Queer Self Portrait Exhibition at Dot's Bar, a follow-up to the successful Women's Self Portrait Exhibition in December which received over fifty entries. "You don't need to feel restricted to just painting a head and shoulders portrait, it can be however you feel you wish to represent yourself on canvas," says Rodney from Dot's. "It can be abstract or conceptual, even. For the women's competition we had one entry that was an artist's mannequin, and another was a wine glass filled with liquorice allsorts. "It's a real opportunity for people who feel artistic or creative who wouldn't normally get a chance to be part of an exhibition to express themselves." Entries are still open, and cost $5. Entry forms can be obtained by emailing Dot's Bar on dotsbar@xtra.co.nz. The exhibition begins on Saturday 6 February and runs through to Friday 19 February. Magical Mystery Tour The Long Yang Club is organising a Mystery Meander through the Auckland Domain, starting at 2:30pm this Sunday afternoon. Starting at the kiosk by the Wintergardens, participants will be given a sheet with 20 cryptic clues which they must use to find markers on a trail which goes down through the wooded area of the domain, into Parnell and back again. "The person who completes the trail correctly in the fastest time will get a $75 Prezzy Card," says Long Yang spokesman Michael Rose. "We also have vouchers for Thai Chef in Albany, and for Espresso Workshop, which is run by David Huang, one of New Zealand's top baristas." The cost of entry is $7.50, or $5 for Long Yang Club members. Proceeds will be donated to Body Positive and Genderbridge. The Long Yang Club has branches in at least eleven countries and five continents. It was founded in London in 1983, to provide activities in which gay men from different cultures - Asian, European, and others too - can meet each other, learn to understand each other's cultures, and make friends. Kamo's Sunday Tea Dance After you've taxed your brain searching for clues in the Domain, you can finish off the day at Kamo bar on K' Road with the Lazy Sunday Tea Dance, beginning late afternoon. "It's a really popular tradition in the US," says Loren from Kamo. "People can't go out late on a Sunday because of work, but they still want to catch up with friends and chill out, so tea dances are a great way to unwind without having a really late night." The Kamo crew will be cooking up a BBQ, so bring along $5 for a plate, and relax to the sounds of DJ Mauri spinning the decks. OurFest runs until the 2010 Awards Night on Friday 19 February. See the festival's official website for a full list of events.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News Staff
First published: Friday, 5th February 2010 - 10:07am