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 international artists, especially from Australia and Europe.
Contents
About Fingers Gallery
Fingers gallery 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 modern jewellery spaces in the world.
How Fingers Started
The idea for Fingers came from a jeweller named Alan Preston. He had worked at Brown's Mill Market, which was New Zealand's first craft co-operative. Alan then asked other jewellers, Ruth Baird, Roy Mason, Margaret Philips, and Michael Ayling, to open a jewellery shop together. They chose a spot on Lorne Street in Auckland.
The name 'Fingers' was picked because all the jewellers were making rings at that time. Rings are worn on fingers!
The Goals of the Gallery
The artists who started Fingers had clear goals. They wanted to sell their jewellery directly to people. They also wanted to share their ideas and learn new techniques from each other. Fingers was meant to be a central place for creative jewellery in New Zealand.
Each artist in the group took turns working in the shop one day a week. The rest of the time, they worked on their own jewellery. In its early years, Fingers focused a lot on silversmithing. The group even started a silversmithing school called Lapis Lazuli.
Exciting Exhibitions at Fingers
Fingers has hosted many interesting art shows over the years. These shows often explored new ideas in jewellery.
Early Shows and Themes
One important early show was 'Guaranteed Trash' in 1978. This exhibition was inspired by the punk style popular at the time. Another unique show was the 'Bone show' in 1981. For this, 24 jewellers created pieces using bone.
The 'Paua Dreams' exhibition in 1981 was also very special. It featured work from the six Fingers members and eight other invited jewellers. The goal was to show that paua shell could be used for beautiful art, not just cheap souvenirs. Sadly, many pieces from the 'Bone exhibition' were stolen in a robbery on April 29, 1981.
Fingers and Museums
By the mid-1980s, museums and art galleries in New Zealand started to buy jewellery from Fingers. This showed how important and respected the gallery's work had become. For example, the Auckland Museum bought pieces from the 'Souvenirs' exhibition. The Dowse Art Museum in Lower Hutt also has a permanent collection of jewellery, including works from Fingers artists.
Fingers' New Home
In 1987, Fingers moved to its current location on Kitchener Street. This new spot is right across from the Auckland Art Gallery. The new gallery had special glass display cases and a counter designed by Humphrey Ikin. This new look made Fingers feel more like an art gallery than just a shop.
To show that they still offered jewellery for everyone, Fingers held an exhibition called '$100 Under' in 1988. This show featured pieces that cost less than $100. In 1991, an art expert named Helen Schamroth said that Fingers was known for its original and new designs. She noted that they always tried to meet what customers wanted in terms of beauty and feelings.
Celebrating 40 Years
Fingers celebrated its 40th birthday in November 2014. They had a special exhibition at the Objectspace gallery in Auckland. A book about the gallery was also written by Damian Skinner and Finn McCahon-Jones. It's amazing that three of the original five founders – Alan Preston, Ruth Baird, and Roy Mason – are still members of Fingers today!
Fingers Members Over Time
Here is a list of some of the talented jewellers who have been members of Fingers:
- 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
You can learn more about Fingers from 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
