Dowse Art Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1971 |
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| Location | Lower Hutt, New Zealand |
The Dowse Art Museum is a cool art gallery in Lower Hutt, New Zealand. It's like a public art space, owned by the city.
It first opened its doors in 1971. The Dowse is in its own building in the centre of Lower Hutt. It's right next to other city buildings. The whole building got a big makeover in 2013. The museum mostly shows art by New Zealand artists. This includes famous national artists and talented local ones too.
Contents
Discovering the Dowse: A Museum's Story
The Dowse Art Museum is named after two very important people: Mayor Percy Dowse and his wife, Mayoress Mary Dowse. Sadly, both of them passed away before the museum officially opened.
Percy Dowse: Building a City's Future
Percy Dowse was the mayor of Hutt City from 1950 to 1970. He strongly believed that modern cities needed places for people to gather. He thought cities should have sports facilities, social spaces, and cultural spots. He started a big building project in the city. This led to important buildings like the War Memorial Library and the Lower Hutt Town Hall. He also pushed for an art gallery to be part of this building boom.
Mary Dowse: A Champion for Art
Mary Dowse, Percy's wife, was also a big supporter of the arts. She was the first president of the Hutt Valley National Council of Women. Mary worked with Elizabeth Harper from The Hutt Art Society. Together, they asked the City Council to create an art gallery. In 1963, the Council agreed to set aside space for a gallery.
The gallery was first located in an extension of the War Memorial Library. But after Mary died in an accident in 1964, the City Council made a special decision. They voted to build a brand new building for the art gallery to honour her. The museum was still being built when Percy passed away in 1970.
Meet the Directors: Leaders of the Dowse
The Dowse Art Museum has had several directors over the years. These are the people who lead the museum and decide what art to show.
- David Millar was the first director, from 1971 to 1976. He helped set the museum's early direction. He started buying ceramics and decorative arts for the collection.
- Jim Barr was director from 1976 to 1981. During his time, the Dowse bought a famous and sometimes debated artwork. It was Colin McCahon’s Wall of Death.
- James Mack led the museum from 1981 to 1988.
- Bob Maysmor was director from 1988 to 1998.
- Tim Walker was director from 1998 to 2008.
- Cam McCracken was director from 2008 to 2012. He had worked at other art places before, like Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts and the Auckland Art Gallery. He later became director of the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.
- Courtney Johnston was director from 2012 to 2018. She had experience in communications and web roles before joining the Dowse.
- Karl Chitham became director in January 2019. He was previously the director of Tauranga Art Gallery.
Art Collection: What the Dowse Holds
The Dowse Art Museum has a fantastic collection of artworks. It includes pieces by famous New Zealand artists. Some of these are Ralph Hotere, Colin McCahon, Don Peebles, and Gordon Walters.
The museum also features artists who have a special connection to the local area. These include Rangi Hetet, Rangimārie Hetet, Gordon Crook, and Hariata Ropata-Tangahoe. The Dowse has also shown many great exhibitions of modern Māori and Pacific artists. These shows often explore important cultural topics.
The collection also includes a sculpture of Carmen Rupe by Paul Rayner. There are also many beautiful pieces of jewellery by Alan Preston.
Cool Exhibitions: Past Shows at the Dowse
The Dowse Art Museum often hosts exciting and unique exhibitions. Here are some of the notable ones:
- Casting Light – by Ann Robinson – 1998. This show featured amazing glass art.
- Thrift to Fantasy – by Rosemary McLeod – 2003.
- Respect – Hip Hop Aotearoa – This exhibition in 2003 celebrated New Zealand hip hop culture. It featured artists like DLT, Upper Hutt Posse, and others.
- Fruits Tokyo Street Style – by Shoichi Aoki – 2004. This show explored unique fashion from Tokyo.
- Bill Viola: The Messenger – 2010.
- Legacy: The Art of Rangi Hetet and Erenora Puketapu-Hetet – 2016. This exhibition included beautiful kākahu (cloaks). These were woven by Dame Rangimārie Hetet, Lillian Smallman Hetet, and Veranoa Hetet.
- Gavin Hipkins: The Domain – 2017–2018.
Images for kids
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Detail of a poupou by Rangi Hetet. It hangs in The Dowse Art Museum. This is one of two poupou made for the museum's fifth birthday in 1975. The poupou are carved wooden figures with shiny pāua shell eyes. This figure shows Te Puni.
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One of Paul Dibble's 'Swimmers in Space' sculptures. It stands in front of The Dowse Art Gallery.
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