TheChristchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū,commonly known as theChristchurch Art Gallery,is the public art gallery of the city ofChristchurch,New Zealand. It has its own substantial art collection and also presents a programme of New Zealand and international exhibitions. It is funded byChristchurch City Council.The gallery opened on 10 May 2003,[1]replacing the city's previous public art gallery, theRobert McDougall Art Gallery,which had opened in 1932.
| Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū | |
|---|---|
 Gallery exterior | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Coordinates | 43°31′50″S172°37′52″E/ 43.53056°S 172.63111°E |
| Inaugurated | 10 May 2003 |
| Owner | Christchurch City Council |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | Buchan Group |
TheMāorielements of the name are explained as follows:Te Punahonours waipuna, the artesian spring beneath the gallery andWaiwheturefers to one of the tributaries in the immediate vicinity, which flows into the River Avon.Waiwhetumay also be translated as 'water in which stars are reflected'.[2][better source needed]
History
editThe previous public art gallery, theRobert McDougall Art Gallery,[3]opened on 16 June 1932 and closed on 16 June 2002.[4]It was located in theChristchurch Botanic Gardens,adjacent toCanterbury Museum,where the building still stands unused, as of 2019.[5]
Christchurch City Councilcommitted funds to buying land for a new gallery in 1995 and purchased the Christchurch Art Gallery site in 1996. A competition to design the new gallery was launched in 1998.[6]
The building
editThe gallery's building was designed by the Buchan Group. The gallery's forecourt has a large sculpture,Reason for Voyaging,[7]which was the result of a collaboration between the sculptorGraham Bennettand the architect David Cole.[8]
The building was used asCivil Defenceheadquarters for Christchurch following the2010 Canterbury earthquake,and again after the February2011 Christchurch earthquake.The gallery was designed to deal withseismic events.The gallery's foundation, a concrete raft slab that sits on the surface of the ground, evenly distributes earthquake forces. However, it sustained some damage during the earthquake.[9]The gallery building was used as a Civil Defence headquarters for seven months after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, and did not reopen until 19 December 2015 due to the need for extensive refurbishments and improvements.[10]
Directors
editAlthough the Robert McDougall Art Gallery opened in 1932, the first paid director, William Baverstock, was appointed in 1960 (he had previously served as honorary curator from 1949).[6]
- 1960–1969: William Baverstock (1893–1975)
- 1969–1979: Brian Muir (1943–1989)
- 1979–1981:T. L. Rodney Wilson(1945–2013)
- 1981–1995: John Coley
- 1995–2006: Tony Preston
- 2006–2018:Jenny Harper(b. 1950)[11]
- 2018–present: Blair Jackson[12]
Gallery
edit-
Interior of Christchurch Art Gallery -
Gallery's foyer -
View of foyer from upstairs -
Gallery space -
Gallery space -
Side view of gallery with Martin Creed'sEverything Is Going To Be Alrightartwork, 2020 -
Reasons for voyaging,a sculpture on the gallery's forecourt -
Michael Parekōwhai's 2011 sculptureChapman's Homer
References
edit- ^"Grand opening for gallery of wonders".Christchurch Star.14 May 2003. pp. A4–A5.
- ^"Coolest little suburbs: Waiwhetu".Stuff.24 February 2012.Retrieved20 January2021.
- ^"The Robert McDougall Art Gallery 1932–1982".Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū.Retrieved19 May2019.
- ^"The Robert McDougall Art Gallery: a profile of the Art Gallery of the City of Christchurch, 1932–1982".Christchurch City Libraries.Christchurch City Council.1982.
- ^Harris, Dominic (30 April 2019)."Canterbury Museum calls for extra $12m to make former art gallery quake-proof".Stuff.Retrieved18 May2019.
- ^ab"History".Christchurch Art Gallery.Retrieved18 May2019.
- ^"Graham Bennett: Reasons for Voyaging".Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū.Retrieved19 May2019.
- ^"The Building".Christchurch Art Gallery.Retrieved17 May2011.
- ^Mortimer, Frances (12 October 2014)"Not Broken, But Slightly Bowed—Lifting a Landmark Art Gallery in New Zealand"Archived19 October 2014 at theWayback MachineAmerican Surveyor MagazineFrederick, Maryland
- ^Gates, Charlie (19 December 2015)."Christchurch Art Gallery reopening after nearly 5 years of closure".The Press.Retrieved3 January2016.
- ^Small, Jamie (30 September 2017)."Christchurch Art Gallery director Jenny Harper resigns".Stuff.
- ^"New Christchurch Art Gallery director wants to 'build new audiences'".The Press.22 March 2018.Retrieved1 April2018.
External links
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