Fingers (gallery) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fingers |
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| General information | |
| Type | Art Gallery |
| Location | 2 Kitchener Street, Auckland City Centre, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 36°51′03″S 174°45′58″E / 36.8507°S 174.7661°E |
Fingers is a special art gallery in Auckland, New Zealand. It focuses on showing and selling modern jewellery. Most of the jewellery is made by artists from New Zealand. You can also find pieces from artists in Australia and Europe.
Contents
A Long History of Jewellery
Fingers opened its doors in 1974. This makes it the oldest gallery of its kind in New Zealand. It is also one of the longest-running contemporary jewellery places in the world!
How Fingers Began
The idea for Fingers came from a jeweller named Alan Preston. He worked with other artists at a craft market. Alan then asked fellow jewellers Ruth Baird, Roy Mason, Margaret Philips, and Michael Ayling to open a jewellery shop together. They chose the name 'Fingers' because they were all making many rings at the time.
The artists wanted to sell their work directly to people. They also wanted to share ideas and learn from each other. Each artist took turns working in the shop. The rest of the time, they worked on their own jewellery. In the early days, Fingers focused a lot on silversmithing. They even started a school called Lapis Lazuli to teach people how to work with silver.
Exciting Exhibitions
Fingers has hosted many interesting art shows over the years.
Early Shows
- Guaranteed Trash (1978): This show was inspired by the punk rock style.
- Bone show (1981): Twenty-four jewellers created pieces using bone.
- Paua Dreams (1981): This exhibition featured six Fingers members and eight guest artists. Their goal was to show how beautiful paua shell could be. They wanted to make it more than just a material for tourist souvenirs. Sadly, some of the art from the Bone exhibition was taken in 1981.
Jewellery in Museums
By the mid-1980s, museums and galleries in New Zealand started to notice Fingers' work. They began buying pieces for their own collections. For example, the Auckland War Memorial Museum bought a delicate paua necklace and earrings by Ruth Baird. They also bought a silver pendant by Elena Gee. The Dowse Art Museum in Lower Hutt also has a collection of jewellery, including pieces from Fingers artists.
A New Home and New Ideas
In 1987, Fingers moved to its current location on Kitchener Street. It is right across from the Auckland Art Gallery. The new space had special glass display cases. These showed that Fingers was growing into a more serious art gallery.
To make sure people knew they still had affordable jewellery, Fingers held a show called '$100 Under' in 1988. In 1991, an art expert named Helen Schamroth said that Fingers was known for its "original, innovative approach to design." She noted that they created art that met people's "aesthetic and emotional needs."
Celebrating 40 Years
In November 2014, Fingers celebrated its 40th birthday! They had a special exhibition at the Objectspace gallery in Auckland. A book about Fingers was also written by Damian Skinner and Finn McCahon-Jones. Three of the original five founders are still members today: Alan Preston, Ruth Baird, and Roy Mason.
Who Are the Fingers Members?
Here is a list of some of the artists who have been members of the Fingers cooperative:
- Alan Preston (1974 - present)
- Ruth Baird (1974 - present)
- Roy Mason (1974 - present)
- Margaret Philips (1974-1976)
- Michael Ayling (1974-1976)
- Michael Guy (1975 - 1982)
- Alex (Erena) McNeill (1976 - 1977)
- Daniel Clasby (1976 - 1979; 1984 - 1985)
- Chaia Fein (1977 - 1979)
- Michael Couper (1977 - present)
- Warwick Freeman (1978 - 2003)
- Nick Charlton (1984 - 1988; 1990 - 1993)
- Eléna Gee (1984 - 1991)
- Paul Annear (1991 - 1996)
- Andrea Daly (1991 - present)
More Information
If you want to learn more about Fingers, you can check out these sources:
- Moyra Elliott, 'Talking Shop: Fingers', Object Magazine, issue 46, 2005
- Alan Preston interview on 'Nine to Noon', Radio New Zealand National, 23 December 2014
- The Dowse Art Museum; Eléna Gee, 'Open Heart: Contemporary New Zealand Jewellery', November 1993
- Objectspace, Fingers: Jewellery for Aotearoa New Zealand: 40 Years of fingers Jewellery Gallery, 2014, ISBN: 978-0-9922577-6-7
- Fingers, New Zealand Crafts 7, Sept-Oct 1983
