Brainy Beanies Kicks Off Brain Tumour Awareness Month
First ever Brainy Beanies exhibition launches in Hamilton
The Nancy Caiger Gallery at The Meteor in Hamilton is adorned with beanies of all shapes, sizes and colours this week as Brain Tumour Support NZ holds its first ever Brainy Beanies exhibition to mark the beginning of Brain Tumour Awareness Month. The exhibition opened on Tuesday 3rd May with a launch party for creators and friends and runs until Sunday 8th May.
BTSNZ trustee, Sarah Gibb (3rd from left) with her team of volunteers
Brainy Beanies is a craft exhibition with a difference. For the past five months Brain Tumour Support NZ has encouraged crafters from around the country to create original beanies for the exhibition with the message “created with love, by someone who cares.”
BTSNZ trustee Sarah Gibb came up with the idea of Brainy Beanies in memory of her brother Andrew who died from a glioblastoma brain tumour in 2018. The response to the campaign has been beyond her wildest expectations.
“We were hoping that we might be able to get 100 beanies submitted,” said Sarah. “We achieved that number early on, then we got to 200, and then 300.”
By the time the exhibition opened, BTSNZ had received 950 Beanies from talented crafters scattered across the country.
The Octopus Beanie by Jane Carman
Some of the pieces submitted are more akin to art than clothing and certainly would not look out of place in the wool section of the Wearable Art Awards. A couple of the more creative pieces are being auctioned on Trade Me, such as the impressive Octopus Beanie by Ngongotaha GP Jane Carman, while others will be sold at the exhibition, at craft markets and on the BTSNZ website.
All proceeds from the Brainy Beanie sales will go towards helping New Zealand brain tumour patients and their families. This includes funding the Brain Boxes - care and information packages which BTSNZ sends out free to newly diagnosed patients and caregivers anywhere in the country.
People can also donate a Beanie for a Brain Box where a donation of $25 will place a Brainy Beanie into a Brain Box.
Besides raising vital funds for Brain Tumour Support NZ’s support services, the Brainy Beanies campaign is also raising awareness about brain tumours. The month of May is recognised as Brain Tumour Awareness Month in the US, Canada, Australia and NZ, and awareness-raising activities are planned throughout the month.