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 a public art gallery. It is located in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. The gallery has its own large collection of art. It also shows many different art exhibitions from New Zealand and other countries. The Christchurch City Council provides money to help run the gallery. It opened on 10 May 2003. This new gallery replaced the city's older public art gallery. That gallery was called the Robert McDougall Art Gallery and had opened in 1932.
The gallery's Māori name has special meanings. Te Puna (pronounced Teh Poo-nah) means 'the spring'. This part of the name honors the natural spring water that flows beneath the gallery. Waiwhetū (pronounced Why-fay-too) refers to a small stream nearby. This stream flows into the Avon River. Waiwhetū can also mean 'water in which stars are reflected'.
Contents
A Look Back at the Gallery's History
The city's first public art gallery was the Robert McDougall Art Gallery. It opened on 16 June 1932. This gallery closed its doors exactly 70 years later, on 16 June 2002. It was located in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens. The old building is still there today. It stands next to the Canterbury Museum.
The Christchurch City Council decided to build a new art gallery. In 1995, they set aside money to buy land for it. The land for the new Christchurch Art Gallery was bought in 1996. Then, in 1998, a competition was held. Architects could submit their designs for the new gallery building.
The Gallery Building
The building for the Christchurch Art Gallery was designed by a group called the Buchan Group. Outside the gallery, in the front area, there is a large sculpture. It is called Reason for Voyaging. This artwork was created by sculptor Graham Bennett. He worked together with architect David Cole on the sculpture.
The gallery building is very strong. It was designed to handle earthquakes. Its foundation is a large concrete slab. This slab sits on the ground's surface. It helps to spread out the forces from an earthquake evenly.
Earthquakes and Reopening
After the 2010 Canterbury earthquake, the building was used as a headquarters. It served as the Civil Defence center for Christchurch. It was used again for this purpose after the bigger February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Even though it was designed to be strong, the gallery did get some damage during the earthquakes.
The gallery building was used as a Civil Defence headquarters for seven months. This was after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Because of the damage, the gallery needed a lot of repairs and improvements. It did not reopen to the public until 19 December 2015.
Gallery Directors
The Robert McDougall Art Gallery opened in 1932. However, the first paid director was not appointed until much later. William Baverstock became the first paid director in 1960. Before that, he had worked as an unpaid curator since 1949.
Here is a list of the gallery's directors:
- 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
Images for kids
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Interior of Christchurch Art Gallery
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Gallery's foyer
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View of foyer from upstairs
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Gallery space
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Gallery space
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Side view of gallery with Martin Creed's Everything Is Going To Be Alright artwork, 2020
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Reasons for voyaging, a sculpture on the gallery's forecourt
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Michael Parekōwhai's 2011 sculpture Chapman's Homer
See also
In Spanish: Galería de Arte de Christchurch para niños
