Auckland Art Gallery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki |
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The gallery building, showing the clock tower
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| Former names | Auckland City Art Gallery |
| General information | |
| Type | Art gallery, formerly public library and council offices |
| Architectural style | French Renaissance |
| Location | Corner Wellesley and Kitchener Streets, Auckland CBD |
| Coordinates | 36°51′05″S 174°45′59″E / 36.8514°S 174.7663°E |
| Completed | 1887 |
| Owner | Auckland Unlimited, Auckland Council (indirectly through Auckland Unlimited) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | John Harry Grainger & Charles D'Ebro; refurbished by FJMT + Archimedia (2011) |
| Awards and prizes | 2013 World Building of the Year, World Architecture Festival |
| Designated: | 11-Nov-1983 |
| Reference #: | 92 |
The Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is a super cool place in Auckland, New Zealand. It's the main public art gallery there. It has the biggest collection of art from New Zealand and around the world. Plus, it often shows amazing art from other countries!
This gallery is located near Albert Park in the middle of Auckland city. It first opened its doors in 1888. This made it the very first permanent art gallery in New Zealand.
When it first opened, the building was home to both the art gallery and the Auckland public library. It started with art and books given by generous people like Governor Sir George Grey and James Tannock Mackelvie. It was the second public art gallery in New Zealand. The first was the Dunedin Public Art Gallery, which opened in 1884.
In 2009, something really exciting happened. An American businessman named Julian Robertson promised to donate art worth over $100 million! This was the biggest art gift ever in this part of the world. The gallery will receive these artworks later on.
Contents
Discovering the Gallery's Past
For a long time in the 1870s, many people in Auckland wanted an art collection for the city. But the city council didn't want to spend money on it. Important people like Sir Maurice O'Rorke pushed for it.
The idea for a combined Art Gallery and Library became possible because two big supporters promised to donate their collections. These were former governor Sir George Grey and James Tannock Mackelvie. Sir George Grey had promised books for a library way back in 1872. He ended up giving over 12,500 items. These included rare books, old writings, and 53 paintings.
James Tannock Mackelvie was a businessman who lived in Britain but cared about Auckland. In the early 1880s, he announced a gift of 105 framed paintings and drawings. His total gift was 140 items. These included paintings, fancy decorations, and furniture. They form the main part of the Mackelvie Trust Collection. This collection is shared between the Art Gallery, the Public Library, and the Auckland Museum.
Mackelvie wanted his art to be shown in a special gallery. The city didn't like this idea much at first. But a special room was set aside for his collection in 1893. Later, in 1916, a special gallery called the Mackelvie Gallery was built. The Mackelvie Trust still buys art to add to this collection. It now includes cool 20th-century bronze sculptures.
What Art Can You See?
The Auckland Art Gallery first focused on old European paintings. But today, the collection is much bigger! It has over 15,000 artworks. You can find art from many different times and styles. It includes art from New Zealand, the Pacific, and Europe. Some art is from the Middle Ages, and some is from today.
Many famous New Zealand and Pacific artists have their work here. These include Gretchen Albrecht, Marti Friedlander, C.F. Goldie, Frances Hodgkins, Gottfried Lindauer, and Colin McCahon. Some artists even gave their own works to the gallery!
Special Art Gifts
Over the years, many people have given amazing art to the gallery. These gifts have helped the collection grow a lot.
Māori Portraits by Lindauer
In 1915, a businessman named Henry Partridge gave a collection of paintings of Māori people by Gottfried Lindauer. He made this gift on one condition. The people of Auckland had to raise 10,000 pounds for a special fund. They managed to raise the money in just a few weeks!
Modern British Art from Wertheim
Lucy Carrington Wertheim was another big supporter. She owned an art gallery in London. She helped the Auckland Art Gallery get a great collection of British paintings from between the two World Wars. Her gifts in 1948 and 1950 included 154 works by modern British artists.
Prints from Nan Kivell
In 1953, Rex Nan Kivell donated an important collection of prints. These included works by artists like George French Angas and Sydney Parkinson. Later, in the 1960s, the Watson Bequest brought European medieval art. In 1967, the Spencer collection of early English and New Zealand watercolours was given. This included old pictures of New Zealand.
Chartwell Collection
In 1997, the Chartwell Collection came to the Auckland Art Gallery. This collection was started in 1974 by Rob Gardiner. It has over 2000 items and is often shown at the gallery. The gallery and Chartwell Collection also buy new art together.
Gifts from Dame Jenny Gibbs
Dame Jenny Gibbs has been a long-time supporter of the gallery. She and her husband Allan helped form a group of supporters. They gave a painting by Colin McCahon in 1987. Dame Jenny has also given other important paintings. These include works by Gordon Walters and Ralph Hotere.
Robertson Collection
In 2009, Julian Robertson promised to donate art worth $115 million. This was the biggest art gift of its kind in Australia and New Zealand. The donation included works by very famous artists. Some of these are Paul Cézanne, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Salvador Dalí. After this amazing gift, some rooms were named the Julian and Josie Robertson Galleries. When Mr. Robertson passed away in 2022, his collection officially became part of the gallery's art.
See Art Online with Google
On April 4, 2012, the Auckland Art Gallery joined the Google Art project. This is a cool way to see art from all over the world online! The gallery's director, Chris Saines, said it was a "fantastic opportunity." It lets people learn about and enjoy New Zealand art even if they are far away.
The Auckland Art Gallery added 85 artworks to the project. Most of these are from its New Zealand and Pacific collection. The rest are by international artists.
The Gallery Buildings
The main gallery building was designed by architects Grainger & D'Ebro from Melbourne. It was built to hold the art gallery, city council offices, a lecture hall, and the public library. It looks like an early French Renaissance style building. It was finished in 1887, and another part was added in 1916. The building has three floors, with a tall clock tower. It is a very important historic building in New Zealand.
Over time, the building became too small for all the city council offices. After the Auckland Town Hall was built in 1911, all the council offices moved out. This allowed the gallery to expand. Art classes and studios were also added. Later, in the 1950s, a weaver named Ilse von Randow used the clock tower rooms. She created special curtains for the gallery there.
From 1969 to 1971, the building was changed. A new wing and a sculpture garden were added. This was possible because of a generous gift from Philip Edmiston. In 1971, the public library moved to a new building nearby.
In the late 2000s, a big new extension was planned. Some people didn't like it because of the cost and the design. Also, it would use some land from Albert Park. The gallery closed in late 2007 for these big renovations. It reopened on September 3, 2011. While it was closed, temporary art shows were held at another location.
In 2008, the city council decided to go ahead with the extension. It cost about NZ$113 million. The Auckland City Council paid almost NZ$50 million of this.
The new design by FJMT and Archimedia made the exhibition space 50% bigger. It can now hold up to 900 artworks! It also has special areas for education, kids, and families. The old parts of the building were also fixed up. The 17 different floor levels were reduced to just 6. This big project has won 17 architecture awards! It even won the 2013 World Building of the Year award.
You can find one of the sealed entrances to the Albert Park tunnels behind the Art Gallery on Wellesley Street.
Gallery Leaders
Even though the gallery started in 1888, it didn't have a full-time professional director until 1952. That's when Eric Westbrook from England was hired. Before him, the head librarian was in charge of both the gallery and the library.
Eric Westbrook and the next director, Peter Tomory, wanted to make the gallery more modern. They tried to bring modern art to Auckland, even though many people and the City Council didn't like it at first. Some of their exhibitions caused big arguments. For example, in 1963, Tomory wanted to buy a sculpture called Torso II. One council member said it looked like "the buttock of a dead cow"! But the sculpture was bought by a local businessman and given to the gallery secretly. This event helped change how people thought about art in New Zealand.
In 1981, Dr Rodney Wilson became the first New Zealander to be the gallery's director. During his time, the gallery doubled in size. It also hosted very popular exhibitions. One famous show was Monet: Painter of Light in 1985. It attracted 175,679 visitors! He also helped with the Te Māori exhibition. This amazing show of Māori treasures traveled to the United States and then around New Zealand.
Christopher Johnstone took over as director in 1988. During his time, big exhibitions included art by Pablo Picasso and Rembrandt. In 1995, there was a special program about Paul Gauguin. A new gallery for modern art, called the New Gallery, opened in 1995. Also, a Māori Advisory Group called Haerewa was created.
Here is a list of the gallery's directors:
- 2019–current: Kirsten Lacy
- 2013–2018: Rhana Devenport
- 1996–2013: Chris Saines
- 1988–1995: Christopher Johnstone
- 1981–1988: Rodney Wilson
- 1979–1981: Grant Kirby (Acting Director)
- 1974–1979: Professor Ernest Smith
- 1972–1974: Richard Teller Hirsch
- 1965–1972: Gil Docking
- 1956–1965: Professor Peter Tomory
- 1952–1955: Dr Eric Westbrook
Cool Exhibitions Over the Years
The Auckland Art Gallery has hosted many exciting art shows. Here are some of the most memorable ones since 1950:
- 1954 Frances Hodgkins and Her Circle' - A show about a famous New Zealand artist.
- 1956 Henry Moore: an Exhibition of Sculpture and Drawings' - This show caused a big stir! The Mayor even called some of the art "nauseating." But it brought in huge crowds!
- 1963 Retrospective: M.T. Woollaston and Colin McCahon' - The first big show for artists born and living in New Zealand.
- 1967 Marcel Duchamp, The Mary Sisler Collection: 78 Works 1904 – 1963' - An exhibition of works by a very famous modern artist.
- 1971 Ten Big Paintings' - The gallery asked ten artists to create huge paintings for this show.
- 1975 Van Gogh in Auckland' - A popular show featuring works by the famous Dutch painter.
- 1985 Claude Monet: Painter of Light' - This was one of the most successful shows ever! Over 175,000 people came to see Monet's beautiful paintings. Many visitors had never been to the gallery before.
- 1987 Te Māori' - A very important exhibition of Māori treasures that traveled the world.
- 1988 Colin McCahon: Gates and Journeys' - A special show celebrating the gallery's 100th birthday.
- 1995 Paul Gauguin: Pages from the Pacific' - An exhibition about the artist's time in the Pacific.
- 2001 1st Auckland Triennial: Bright Paradise: Exotic History and Sublime Artifice' - The first of a series of shows that happen every three years.
- 2002 The Walters Prize 2002' - This started a series of shows that happen every two years. They highlight modern New Zealand art.
- 2015 Lisa Reihana: in Pursuit of Venus [infected]' - A stunning video artwork that reimagines a famous historical painting.
- 2018 The Māori Portraits: Gottfried Lindauer's New Zealand: Te Hokinga Mai' - A popular exhibition of Lindauer's famous portraits of Māori people.
- 2020 Toi Tū Toi Ora: Contemporary Māori Art' - This huge exhibition filled the entire gallery! It showed over 300 artworks by 110 Māori artists. It was seen by over 191,000 visitors.
The E.H. McCormick Research Library at the Auckland Art Gallery keeps a full list of all exhibitions since June 1927.
