Govett-Brewster Art Gallery facts for kids

The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery is a contemporary art museum at New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand. The gallery receives core funding from the New Plymouth District Council. Govett-Brewster is recognised internationally for contemporary art.

History

The gallery opened on 22 February 1970, in the old Regent cinema building converted by New Plymouth architect, Terry Boon. The gallery trust was established with funds gifted by Monica Brewster (née Govett, 1886–1973).

1998 extension

The gallery opened an extension designed by New Plymouth firm Boon Cox Goldsmith Jackson in 1998. The extension was principally undertaken to provide exhibition and storage space for the Len Lye Foundation Collection along with a dedicated education space.

Len Lye Centre

Len Lye Centre, New Plymouth

The Len Lye Centre is an extension to the Govett-Brewster, built to display the works of Len Lye. It was designed by Andrew Patterson of Pattersons Associates, New Zealand. It is home to the archives and studio collection of the Len Lye Foundation. Born in Christchurch in 1901 and largely self-educated, Len Lye was driven by a lifelong passion for motion, energy and the possibility of composing them as a form of art. Lye's interests took him far from New Zealand; after sojourns in the South Pacific, Lye moved to London and then New York, where he became known as an intensely creative film-maker and kinetic sculptor.

The Len Lye Centre was opened on 25 July 2015. This is the first gallery in New Zealand to be dedicated to a single artist.

Awards

The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery has received many awards.

• 2009, the Arts Foundation of New Zealand, Governor's Award
• 2011, the Big ‘A’ Creative New Zealand Arts for All Award
• 2016, Designers Institute of New Zealand, Best Design Award, Large Brand Identity

Directors

• John Maynard, director (1967–1971)
• Robert Ballard, director (1971–1975)
• Ron O'Reilly, director (1975–1979)
• Dick Bett, director (1979–1984)
• Cheryll Sotheran, director (1984–1989)
• John McCormack, director (1990–1993)
• Priscilla Pitts, director (1993–1998)
• Gregory Burke, director (1998–2005)
• Rhana Devenport, director (2006–2013)
• Simon Rees, director (2014–2018)
• Aileen Burns and Johan Lundh, directors (2019–2020)
• Zara Stanhope, director (2021)

Exhibitions

The Govett-Brewster has produced a number of notable or landmark exhibitions:

• Brett Graham: Tai Moana Tai Tangata (2020, curated by Anna-Marie White)
• Emanations: The Art of the Cameraless Photograph (2016, curated by Geoffrey Batchen)
• Sister Corita's Summer of Love (2015, curated by Simon Rees)
• Mediarena: contemporary art from Japan (2004, curated by Gregory Burke, Roger McDonald and Fumio Nanjo)
• Fiona Clark: Go Girl (2002, curated by Gregory Burke)
• Te Maunga Taranaki : views of a mountain (2001, curated by William McAloon)
• Putting the Land on the Map: Art and Cartography in New Zealand since 1840 (1990, curated by Wystan Curnow)
• Leon Narbey: Real Time (1970)

See also

In Spanish: Galería de Arte Govett-Brewster para niños