Michelle Elvy: Regional parks artist in residence
New Artist
The Wild Edge
Michelle Elvy grew up on the shores of the Chesapeake, in Maryland, and arrived in Aotearoa aboard her sailboat after living aboard nearly 20 years. She has written and edited 15 books, including her experimental novel, the everrumble, and her hybrid story collection, the other side of better. Her extensive anthology editing work includes this year’s dual-language Poto: Iti te kupu, nui te kōrero| Short: The big book of small stories and the multi-lingual collection of stories and essays Te Moana o Reo | Ocean of Languages. Her work with Witi Ihimaera over several years brought artists together in the anthology A Kind of Shelter: Whakaruru-taha, and in 2024 she produced a series of wallpapers in visual art-poetry collaboration for the Art + Science Exhibition in Ōtepoti, working with Manu Berry, Rachel Zajac and Cila McQueen.
Michelle’s work examines the intersections in our natural world. Her view to the Manukau Harbour in October and November will add a new vantage point, and during her residency nestled in the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park she will be creating a set of poems + photographs that explore the process of coastal change. This includes examining the concept of ‘park’ as wild place, yet a space which is managed and has maintained edges: ‘a place that holds nature at its centre, yet a place for community’.
Her 2025 project includes poetry and text, and is focused on the intersection of what is naturally here, what we create from it, and how we preserve it.
The studio is open to works in progress, and work for sale.
Map Number
43
Address
Barr Cottage
1368 Huia Road
Little Huia
Days
Saturday and Sunday
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