Established in 1888, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is New Zealand’s leading visual arts experience with more than 15,000 artworks in its collection. Each year, hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Gallery explore the largest collection of New Zealand art in the world and discover outstanding works by Māori and Pacific Island artists, as well as international painting, sculpture and print collections dating from the 11th century to today.
With an ever-changing programme of exhibitions sourced from the Gallery’s own collection and from the collections of its international partners, there is always something new to see. In addition to enjoying Gallery spaces, visitors can relax in the café, visit the shop for unique merchandise or become involved in the making process in the Creative Learning Centre.
Situated in the heart of Auckland city next to Albert Park, the Gallery has won 22 building design awards since expansion and restoration in 2011, and was most recently awarded 2013 World Building of the Year at the World Architecture Festival. The Gallery is one of Lonely Planet’s New Zealand Travel Guide Top Choices, making it a must-see for international visitors.
The Gallery is open daily from 10am – 5pm, except Christmas Day. Entry is free. (Charges to temporary exhibitions may apply).
Auckland Art Gallery is part of Regional Facilities Auckland, an Auckland Council-controlled organisation, which manages several facilities across Auckland.
QUICK FACTS
Auckland Art Gallery was established in 1888 as 'the first permanent Art Gallery in the Dominion'
• Since expansion and restoration in 2011, the Gallery has welcomed more than 1.4 million visitors
through its doors
• In 2013, Auckland Art Gallery was awarded World Building of the Year at the World Architecture
Festival in Singapore in recognition of the 2011 expansion, restoration and earthquake
strengthening
• The Gallery holds the largest collection of New Zealand art in the world
• The Gallery’s collection includes works by iconic New Zealand artists Gottfried Lindauer, Charles
F Goldie, Frances Hodgkins, Colin McCahon, Gretchen Albrecht and Michael Parekowhai
• Around 800 works from the 15,600 strong collection are on display in the Gallery at any one time
• There is a strong representation of indigenous art in the collection, in particular indigenous Māori,
Pacific and Asian art
• In addition to its exhibition spaces, the Gallery houses a café, shop, auditorium, creative learning
centre, classroom and Conservation Research Centre
• In 2013, conservators carried out treatment of 280 artworks from private and public collections, as
well as 88 works in the Gallery’s own collection
• Auckland Art Gallery hosts 8000 school students every year
• There are free Gallery tours at 11.30am and 1.30pm daily
• The Gallery café delivers more than 800 coffees each week
• The Gallery shop sold 10,000 postcards from the collection over the past year
• Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is led by Director, Rhana Devenport, who joined in July 2013.
BUILDING
• The original Auckland Art Gallery building was designed by Melbourne architects John H.Grainger and Charles A. D'Ebro in 'French Château style', and initially housed Auckland City'sFree Public Library and Municipal Offices
• The area of the building devoted to the Gallery opened a year later on 17 February 1888, and by1988 had taken over the entire building
• The Gallery underwent a $121 million renovation between September 2008 and September 2011
• Since re-opening in 2011, the Gallery has received 18 architectural and four design related awards, including the 2013 World Building of the Year at the World Architecture Festival, 2013, New Zealand Architecture Awards in the Heritage and Public Architecture categories, and the Project Achievement Award for Museum or Gallery Development.
• The Gallery has an education classroom, creative learning centre, auditorium, research library,
shop and café
• The Gallery’s ‘Mackelvie Gallery’ is one of the few surviving picture galleries of its kind in New Zealand. A top-lit ‘lantern’ gallery, the ceiling lantern admits a diffused natural light.
COMMISSIONS
Three permanent Māori commissions celebrate the reopening of the Gallery and were blessed on 1 September, 2011:
• He Aha Te Wa – Moments in Time by Arnold and Anthony Wilson
• Te Waka Toi o Tāmaki by Fred Graham
• Honoa Ki Te Hono Tawhiti – Connections to an Ancient Past by Lonnie Hutchinson
There are also three temporary commission spaces: The North Atrium, East Sculpture Terrace and
Edmiston North Sculpture Terrace.
GALLERY HOURS
• Open daily 10am – 5pm, except Christmas Day
THE COLLECTION
Auckland Art Gallery’s collection of over 15,600 works is constantly growing thanks to new acquisitions, loans, bequests and donations. There are significant holdings of Māori and Pacific art, as well as iconic works by leading New Zealand artists past and present.
In addition to indigenous artworks, the Gallery has outstanding international painting, sculpture and print collections dating from the 11th century to today. The historic Māori portraits by Gottfried Lindauer and Charles Goldie are a highlight for many of the Gallery’s international visitors. Those who aren’t able to visit the Gallery in a physical sense can virtually browse the collection via the Auckland
Art Gallery website, and the dedicated site for the Lindauer Māori portraits: www.lindaueronline.co.nz
Auckland Art Gallery has several supporters who proactively add to the collection. The Chartwell Trust, led by trustee Rob and Sue Gardiner, is focused on acquiring New Zealand and Australian contemporary art. The Thanksgiving Foundation is dedicated to building a collection of international masterworks, while both the Patrons of the Gallery and Friends of the Gallery regularly acquire new
works to add to the collection.
Historic gifts, benefactors and other significant collections include:
• Julian and Josie Robertson Collection – a promised gift of 15 internationally renowned artworks bequeathed to Auckland Art Gallery on the future settlement of agreed conditions, which includes artworks by Matisse, Picasso, Gaugin, Léger, Bonnard and Fantin-Latour.
• Colin McCahon and Frances Hodgkins Collections – dedicated collections of the respective artists, both recognised as among the most significant New Zealand practitioners of their time.
• The Partridge Collection – the Gallery’s flagship collection of Māori portraits and genre paintings by Gottfried Lindauer, which remain among the most popular works in the Gallery.
• Sir Rex Nan Kivell Collection – works by British modern artists, such as the Nash brothers, Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant and Claude Flight, make up this 300 strong collection of prints.
• Lucy Carrington Wertheim – a collection of works by British contemporary artists from the mid-20th century, such as Alfred Morris and Christopher Wood, enabled through Wertheim’s support of expatriate New Zealand artist Frances Hodgkins.
• Dr Walter Auburn Collection – more than 1500 historic prints by Callot, Piranesi, della Bella and Hollar comprise this outstanding collection.
• Sir George Grey and James Tannock Mackelvie Collections – the founding bequests with which the Gallery was first established, these include painting, sculptures and prints by British and European artists. The Mackelvie Trust was initially set up to administer these collections.
• The Edmiston Trust – The Edmiston Wing, the Sculpture Terrace and George Rickey’s Double-L Excentric Gyratory are just some of the considerable additions to the Gallery funded by Auckland businessman P.A Edmiston in 1948.
• E. H. McCormick Bequest – these funds are dedicated to supporting the Gallery’s Research Library and were bequeathed by one of New Zealand’s first great art historians.
• The Ilene and Laurence Dakin Bequest – dedicated to acquiring historic New Zealand art since 1994.
FACILITIES
Café
The Gallery café located on level 1 offers quality food at a reasonable price. With a full selection of à la carte dishes, as well as a delicious range of hot and cold meals, salads and tempting treats, the café is a great destination to meet for breakfast or lunch in the city. Visitors can access the café from Albert Park, making it the perfect breakfast, brunch or lunch spot.
• An extensive selection of cakes and pastries
• Vegetarian, gluten-free and other special dietary foods available
• ‘Aspiring Artists’ menu for children
• All pork and egg products are free-range
Our standard café hours:
Monday to Friday: Café 7.30am – 4.30pm
Weekends: Café 10am – 4.30pm
Shop
The Gallery shop stocks a wide range of products inspired by the Gallery’s extensive collection and offers unique gifts created by practising artists. Visitors can take home reproductions of their favourite artworks from the Gallery’s collection in the form of fine-art posters and prints, magnets and a wide range of postcards. Prints are available to order online. The shop also stocks Gallery-branded products, such as T-shirts, stationery, luggage tags and key rings. Art lovers will appreciate an array of ceramics, glass and homewares by renowned New Zealand artists, such as Arts Laureate John Parker. Other artists represented can include Peter Collis, Zekiah Heath, Katherine Rutecki and Paul Mason. The shop also stocks jewellery, scarves, accessories, children’s gifts and art-related books for all ages.
Special edition books on the Gallery and its collection are on offer, including A Place For Art commemorating the 2011 building expansion; Art Toi, which celebrates the art and artists of New Zealand; and I Spy – a children’s book featuring artwork from the Gallery’s New Zealand collection.
Standard shop hours: 10am – 5pm daily.
SERVICES
Gallery Assistants
Our Gallery Assistants are a friendly group with an enthusiasm for art and people. You will find them throughout the Gallery and they provide help to our visitors with anything from basic directions and Gallery services to insights about our exhibitions and artworks. Many visitors begin their Gallery experience by talking to the Gallery Assistants at the front desk about our free cloaking and bag check, complimentary maps and brochures.
Gallery tours
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki offers FREE guided tours at 11.30am and1.30pm daily. Tours are up to one hour long. Organised tours for groups are available by arrangement and a charge may apply. Groups of 10 should book at least a fortnight in advance of visit.
Events for everyone
The Gallery runs an extensive programme of artist talks, screenings, workshops and events to support current exhibitions. Information on what’s happening is online www.aucklandartgallery.com – visitors are encouraged to sign up to the Gallery’s email newsletter to keep up to date with the latest activities on offer.
In addition to public programmes for visitors, Auckland Art Gallery offers a desirable venue for private and corporate events.
The E H McCormick Research Library
The E H McCormick Research Library provides to access Auckland Art Gallery’s catalogue, artist files and online collection database, as well as Auckland-wide public library databases. Browse books, magazines, DVDs and journals at your leisure. While the Library’s resources are for reference only, there are photocopying facilities and private audio-visual booths available for use.
Hours: 1–5pm, Monday to Saturday.
Conservation
Auckland Art Gallery’s Research Centre team of conservators specialise in the conservation of paintings, works of art on paper and objects, and are responsible for the care of the Gallery’s collection and exhibitions, as well as carrying out research and treatment. The paper and painting conservators offer a conservation service to the public and other museums on a user-pays basis. In the last year, our conservators carried out the treatment of over 360 works from both private and public collections. This included the major treatment of the large François Langot engraving, The Scorning of Christ, from the Gallery’s collection, which took more than 500 hours of work. This work was sponsored by the Auckland Decorative and Fine Arts Society. The conservators at the Gallery are members of the New Zealand Conservators of Cultural Material and abide by their code of ethics.
FAMILIES AT THE GALLERY
Todd Foundation Creative Learning Centre Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki has developed the Creative Learning Centre: a self-guided,
interactive space for all ages. Visitors are encouraged to drop in to the Centre at any time during Gallery hours to explore an artist’s practice, experiment with materials and ideas, create art and share what they make with others.
The Gallery commissions New Zealand artists to create an interactive installation in the Creative Learning Centre space. Discover how works of art come into being, how artists observe and explain the world that we know and imagine. The Todd Foundation Creative Learning Centre is supported by the Joyce Fisher Charitable Trust.
Kids’ activities
There’s plenty for families to do at Auckland Art Gallery. Every Saturday we offer free Family Drop-ins from 1–3pm. Create art together in these sessions designed for ages 4 and up. Our education team also deliver weekend and holiday workshops in the Gallery, as well as free Big Day Art events for the whole family.
Our free Gallery Games are available daily 10am – 5pm, and encourage fun, shared learning experiences. Go head to head at bingo, discover drawing in the dark or try out our mood-ometer! Families can download Gallery Games from our website before their visit or take their pick from the wide selection available in the Gallery. Paper-based activities are theirs to keep and new Gallery Games are regularly introduced.
LEARNING AND OUTREACH
Classroom studio
Auckland Art Gallery’s classroom studio offers a dedicated learning space for children and adults alike. Experiment with artists' materials, learn art-making techniques and create your own work of art in the studio.
Schools and education
During the week, you’ll often see groups of students from across Auckland exploring the Gallery. The Gallery offers a range of programmes to suit primary and secondary, tertiary and ESOL school groups, as well as learning opportunities for educators.
Community programmes
The Gallery has developed a range of ways for community groups to get involved, from bespoke facilitated workshops in the classroom studio or Gallery spaces to off-site programmes delivered through its Outreach Programme. In 2013, the Gallery introduced a Community Partnership Programme where community organisations and schools collaborate with the Gallery to create and deliver meaningful and unique arts learning programmes. The first partnership with staff and students at Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate Middle School saw the Gallery develop and deliver art-making sessions with teachers and students, culminating in an Open Studio Day at the school.
Young Adults
We have a range of programmes to engage with young adults and youth. Each year, we work with AUT University on the Youth Media Internship where secondary school students are partnered with AUT students on a short investigative video project. In 2014, the Gallery is piloting a Youth Events Squad (YES), that sees young adults develop activities and events in the Gallery for people their own
age.
MAJOR EXHIBITIONS AND INITIATIVES
The Walters Prize
Named in honour of the late New Zealand artist Gordon Walters, the Walters Prize was established in 2002 by Founding Benefactors and Principal Donors Erika and Robin Congreve and Dame Jenny Gibbs, working together with Auckland Art Gallery. The Prize, held every two years, aims to make contemporary art a more widely recognised and debated feature of cultural life. The $50,000 Walters Prize is awarded for an outstanding work of contemporary New Zealand art produced and exhibited during the past two years. Previous winners are:
• 2014: Luke Willis Thompson
• 2012: Kate Newby
• 2010: Dan Arps
• 2008: Peter Robinson
• 2006: Francis Upritchard
• 2004: et al.
• 2002: Yvonne Todd
The Auckland Triennial
The Auckland Triennial is New Zealand’s premier international visual contemporary art exhibition, and Auckland Art Gallery has been the lead partner since its inception. The most recent Triennial in 2013 –The 5th Auckland Triennial – brought together over 30 artist collectives, 15 international artists and an internationally acclaimed curator, Hou Hanru. The 5th Auckland Triennial was the largest to date with nine venues from Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki to Waterfront Auckland's Silo Park to Fresh Gallery Otara in south Auckland.
THE BRAND
The Gallery’s visual identity
With the Gallery’s development in 2011, a new Gallery logo and visual identity was commissioned from Alt Group to demystify art through language, to help people see ‘ART’ in everything and to provide a visual link back to Māori culture. It’s since been recognised worldwide:
• Type Directors Club, New York – 2011 Communication Design Award
• Designers Institute of New Zealand 2012 Best Awards – Environmental Graphics – Silver, Visual
Communication – Silver, Identity Development (Large Scale) – Gold
• Australian Design Biennale Awards – 2012 Pinnacle Award for Design Effectiveness
• IF Communication Design Award, Germany – 2013 Communication Design
THE BUILDING
History
Heralded in 1888 as 'the first permanent Art Gallery in the Dominion', Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki remains the largest art institution in New Zealand, with a collection of over 15,600 works. The building housing the Main Gallery, designed by Melbourne architects John H. Grainger and Charles A. D'Ebro in 'French Château style' opened in 1887 as Auckland City's Free Public Library and Municipal Offices. The area of the building devoted to the Gallery opened a year later on 17 February 1888.
Later additions included a new East Gallery in the early 1900s (which was later remodelled to the Mezzanine) and the Edmiston Wing and outside sculpture court in the 1970s. By its centenary in 1988, Auckland Art Gallery had taken over the entire building, which was now considerably enlarged, with the City Offices and the Library having moved to new premises nearby. In 1995, the ‘New Gallery’ opened in the refurbished former Auckland Central Telephone Exchange building on Lorne Street, which was then owned by the Auckland Contemporary Art Trust. In 2006, the main Gallery building on Kitchener Street closed for seismic strengthening and major redevelopment. After six years of construction and building, it reopened on September 3 2011 and the ‘New Gallery’ on Lorne Street was no longer required.
2008 – 2011 Expansion
Since the expansion and restoration in 2011, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki has won 22 national and international building awards, including the prestigious 2013 World Building of the Year at the World Architecture Festival in Singapore. Other accolades include the Jørn Utzon Award for International Architecture from the Australian Institute of Architects, the Royal Institute of British Architects’ International Award and the New Zealand Architecture Medal from the New Zealand Institute of Architects in 2012. The full list of building awards is below.
Architects at Sydney-based FJMT (Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp) and Auckland-based Archimedia collaborated with Auckland City Council on the expansion and restoration of Auckland Art Gallery, one of largest projects of its kind in New Zealand.
Redevelopment Supporters
Major supporters of the Gallery’s 2008 – 2011 redevelopment were:
• Auckland City Council
• Ministry of Culture & Heritage
• Auckland Art Gallery Foundation
The Auckland Art Gallery Foundation board members included the Hon. John Banks, QSO, CNZM (former Mayor of Auckland City Council). Today there are six Foundation trustees, including key stakeholders drawn from the Gallery’s major collections, trust partner bodies and patrons. The development would not have been possible without the high level of private donor contributions and the generosity of community funding agencies, such as the ASB Community Trust (the largest non-government, non-council funder of the project), NZ Lottery Grants Board, Chartwell Trust, Friedlander Foundation, P A Edmiston Trust, Kelliher Arts Trust, The Lion Foundation, SkyCity Auckland Community Trust, Woolf Fisher Trust, Marylyn Mayo Trust and the Todd Foundation.
Facts on the Gallery’s redevelopment
• The heritage buildings were seismically strengthened and updated to current design codes
• The North Atrium uses an innovative post-tensioned façade system made of concrete and structural steel
• More than 20,000m3 of material was excavated, with 5000m3 of concrete and 400 tonnes structural steel used
• More than 400 tonnes of German Jura stone make up the Gallery exterior and 3,073sqm of American white oak was used on the flooring
• 2,500m3 of fallen New Zealand kauri timber is used for cladding and the roof canopy
• The imported glass walls of the North Atrium are among the largest in southern hemisphere
• The remaining original lath ceilings of the heritage buildings were restored using traditional methods and materials, even to the extent of using horsehair
• The ‘floating’ floor of the Mackelvie Gallery was built to bring the floor plate into line with the mezzanine level of the redeveloped building.
BUILDING AWARDS
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
FJMT+ARCHIMEDIA (ARCHITECTS IN ASSOCIATION)
World Architecture Festival
- 2013 Awards
• World Building of the Year
• Completed Buildings – Culture (category winner)
INSIDE Festival
- 2013 Awards
• Interior of the Year – Culture (category winner)
The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design & European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies
- 2012 International Architecture Awards for the Best New Global Design
• International Architecture Award
Royal Institute of British Architects
- 2012 Awards
• RIBA International Award
Australian Institute of Architects
- 2012 National Architecture Awards
• The Jørn Utzon Award for International Architecture
New Zealand Wood
- 2012 Resene Timber Design Awards
• Commercial Architectural Excellence
• Indigenous Timber Showcase
New Zealand Institute of Architects
- 2012 New Zealand Architecture Awards
• Public Architecture
• Heritage
• The New Zealand Architecture Medal
- 2011 Auckland Architecture Awards
• Public Architecture
• Heritage
PROJECT DESIGN
AUCKLAND ART GALLERY TOI O TĀMAKI
Museums Aotearoa
- 2012 New Zealand Museums Awards
• Project Achievement Award for Museum or Gallery Development
Be.Institute
• 2011 Be.Welcome Gold Rating
PROPERTY DESIGN
REGIONAL FACILITIES AUCKLAND
Property Council New Zealand
- 2012 Rider Levett Bucknall Property Industry Awards
• Coffey Projects, Education and Arts Property Industry
• Hawkins, Heritage and Adaptive Reuses Property Industry
• Rider Levett Bucknall Supreme Award
