Eastern Southland Gallery facts for kids
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The Eastern Southland Gallery is an important art gallery located in Gore, New Zealand. It is housed in a historic building that used to be the town's public library, built in 1909. Even though it's a local gallery, it's special because of two big permanent displays: the Ralph Hotere Gallery and the John Money Collection. The gallery also regularly shows new art in two other areas.
History of the Gallery Building
The Eastern Southland Gallery building was first opened in 1909 as a public library for Gore. It was one of eighteen libraries built in New Zealand with money from a kind American helper named Andrew Carnegie. In 2003, the building was made bigger to hold the John Money Collection. The gallery is at 14 Hokonui Drive, which is at the northern end of Gore's main street. It's easy to find, close to the town's clocktower and the current public library.
The John Money Collection
The John Money Collection is a large group of artworks. Many of these are old cultural items, or modern art inspired by tribal art. It includes important pieces by Theo Schoon. This collection has been in a special new part of the gallery since December 2003. The collection was put together by John Money, who loved collecting art. He gave much of his collection to the gallery in 2003. He had been collecting these items for many years, starting in the 1940s.
Money became friends with Schoon in Christchurch in the 1940s. He also knew other famous New Zealand artists like Rita Angus and Douglas Lilburn. Schoon was very interested in Māori art, which also sparked Money's interest. From 1947, when Money moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he supported artists like Schoon and Angus. He also became a keen collector of tribal art from places like Australia, Africa, and the Americas.
The collection at the Eastern Southland Gallery features many large sculptures from West Africa. Alongside these, you can see modern art from the United States and New Zealand, as well as Aboriginal art from Australia.
The Ralph Hotere Gallery
The Ralph Hotere Gallery displays many artworks by Ralph Hotere, who is considered one of New Zealand's most important modern artists. These artworks were created with the poet Hone Tuwhare. This collection is one of the largest and most significant groups of works by both Hotere and Tuwhare.
