Location: Te Kōputu a te whanga a Toi - Whakatāne Library and Exhibition Centre

Cost: Free

Mia Straka is a contemporary jeweller interested in meaning, value, and exchange. She uses jewellery making to explore personal issues and universal values.

The Valere Talisman Project looks to encourage more connected, inclusive communities through a sense of personal accountability. Willing individuals are invited to come along to the gallery to take part in this special exchange. People taking part will each have a one-on-one discussion with Mia Straka around values that are important to them and a related issue. From there each discussion will turn to how these values may translate into a specific action that could help to improve the issue within the participant’s life, community or country. If the participant chooses to commit to this action, Straka will create a Valere Talisman pendant for the participant, stamped with the identified value, trading a promise for a pendant.

Participants are encouraged to help document the project by sharing the outcome of their action on social media with #thetalismanproject. Straka is also documenting the words and intentions of each willing participant online.

More information on the history and future of the project »

This one-day event is part of the official Molly Morpeth Canaday Award programming for 2018 and coincides with the 2018 Molly Morpeth Canaday Award 3D Public Preview. Mia Straka has also been selected for the final awards exhibition, on show 17 February until 8 April 2018.

The Valere Talisman Project is a free, drop-in project; all are welcome.