Christchurch Art Gallery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū |
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Gallery exterior
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| General information | |
| Coordinates | 43°31′50″S 172°37′52″E / 43.53056°S 172.63111°E |
| Inaugurated | 10 May 2003 |
| Owner | Christchurch City Council |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | Buchan Group |
The Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū is the main public art gallery in Christchurch, New Zealand. It has a large collection of art. The gallery also shows special art displays from New Zealand and other countries. The Christchurch City Council helps to pay for the gallery.
The gallery first opened on 10 May 2003. It replaced the city's older art gallery, the Robert McDougall Art Gallery, which had opened in 1932.
The Māori parts of the name have special meanings. Te Puna means "the spring." It honors the artesian spring (a natural water source) that flows beneath the gallery. Waiwhetū refers to a small stream nearby that flows into the River Avon. Waiwhetū can also mean 'water where stars are reflected'.
History of the Gallery
The old public art gallery, the Robert McDougall Art Gallery, opened on 16 June 1932. It closed exactly 70 years later, on 16 June 2002. That building is still in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens, next to the Canterbury Museum. It is not used anymore.
The Christchurch City Council decided to buy land for a new gallery in 1995. They bought the spot where the Christchurch Art Gallery now stands in 1996. In 1998, a competition was held to choose the best design for the new gallery building.
The Gallery Building
The Buchan Group designed the gallery's building. In front of the gallery, there is a big sculpture called Reason for Voyaging. This artwork was created by sculptor Graham Bennett and architect David Cole working together.
The building is very strong. It was designed to handle seismic events, like earthquakes. Its foundation is a special concrete slab that sits on the ground. This helps to spread out the force of an earthquake evenly.
After the big 2010 Canterbury earthquake, and again after the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the gallery building was used as a headquarters for Civil Defence. This is like an emergency center. Even though it was built strong, the gallery did get some damage from the earthquakes. It was used as an emergency center for seven months after the 2011 earthquake. The gallery needed many repairs and upgrades. It finally reopened to the public on 19 December 2015.
Gallery Directors
The Robert McDougall Art Gallery opened in 1932. However, the first paid director was not hired until 1960. His name was William Baverstock. He had been an unpaid curator since 1949.
Here are the people who have led the gallery:
- 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)
- 2018–present: Blair Jackson
Gallery
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Inside the Christchurch Art Gallery
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The gallery's main entrance area
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A view of the entrance area from an upper floor
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An art display space inside the gallery
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Another view of a gallery space
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Side view of the gallery with Martin Creed's "Everything Is Going To Be Alright" artwork, 2020
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Reasons for voyaging, a sculpture outside the gallery
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Michael Parekōwhai's 2011 sculpture "Chapman's Homer"
See also
In Spanish: Galería de Arte de Christchurch para niños
