Govett-Brewster Art Gallery facts for kids
The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery is a modern art museum located in New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand. It is well-known around the world for its focus on contemporary art. The gallery gets its main funding from the New Plymouth District Council.
Contents
History of the Gallery
The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery started thanks to a generous gift from a New Plymouth resident named Monica Brewster. In 1962, she gave £50,000 (a large sum of money at the time) to the city of New Plymouth. Her goal was to create and grow a public art gallery. When the gallery finally opened in 1970, she made another gift of £72,000 to help start a permanent art collection.
In 1967, a 24-year-old Australian teacher named John Maynard became the director. He wanted to create a unique, modern art gallery, not just a typical local one. He believed that "artists are where the action is," meaning he wanted to focus on new and exciting art.
Maynard helped turn the old Regent cinema building into the gallery. He also decided that the gallery's collection would focus on new types of art and sculptures. It would also support artists from New Zealand and the Pacific region. The gallery officially opened on February 22, 1970, with an exhibition called Real Time by Leon Narbey. An art critic, Hamish Keith, said this exhibition was a major step forward for New Zealand art.
Gallery Expansion in 1998
The gallery added an extension in 1998. This new part was built to provide more space for exhibitions and to store the Len Lye Foundation Collection. It also included a special area for educational activities.
The Len Lye Centre
The Len Lye Centre is a special part of the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery. It was built to show the amazing artworks of Len Lye. The building was designed by Andrew Patterson from New Zealand. It also holds all the archives and studio works of the Len Lye Foundation.
Len Lye was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1901. He taught himself a lot and was always fascinated by movement, energy, and how they could be used to create art. Lye traveled far from New Zealand, living in London and New York. He became famous as a very creative filmmaker and a sculptor who made art that moved (kinetic sculpture).
The Len Lye Centre opened on July 25, 2015. It is the first art gallery in New Zealand to be completely dedicated to the work of just one artist.
Awards and Recognition
The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery has won several important awards:
- In 2009, it received the Governor's Award from the Arts Foundation of New Zealand.
- In 2011, it won the Big ‘A’ Creative New Zealand Arts for All Award.
- In 2016, it received the Best Design Award for Large Brand Identity from the Designers Institute of New Zealand.
Gallery Directors
Here are some of the people who have led the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery over the years:
- John Maynard (1967–1971)
- Robert Ballard (1971–1975)
- Ron O'Reilly (1975–1979)
- Dick Bett (1979–1984)
- Cheryll Sotheran (1984–1989)
- John McCormack (1990–1993)
- Priscilla Pitts (1993–1998)
- Gregory Burke (1998–2005)
- Rhana Devenport (2006–2013)
- Simon Rees (2014–2018)
- Aileen Burns and Johan Lundh (2019–2020)
- Zara Stanhope (2021)
Notable Exhibitions
The Govett-Brewster has shown many important and memorable exhibitions:
- Brett Graham: Tai Moana Tai Tangata (2020)
- Emanations: The Art of the Cameraless Photograph (2016)
- Sister Corita's Summer of Love (2015)
- Vincent Ward: Breath - the fleeting intensity of life (2011)
- Peter Robinson: Snow Ball Blind Time (2008)
- Activating Korea: Tides of Collective Action (2007)
- Mediarena: contemporary art from Japan (2004)
- Fiona Clark: Go Girl (2002)
- Te Maunga Taranaki: views of a mountain (2001)
- Putting the Land on the Map: Art and Cartography in New Zealand since 1840 (1990)
- Leon Narbey: Real Time (1970)
See also
In Spanish: Galería de Arte Govett-Brewster para niños
