What’s On
Marilynn Webb: Folded in the Hills
A major survey exhibition of Ngāpuhi, Te Roroa and Ngāti Kahu artist Marilynn Webb.
From Here on the Ground
Populated places and cityscapes converge with backyards, factories and remote railway stops. Open now!
Cora-Allan: Encountering Aotearoa
A major body of new work that considers the whenua from the vantage point of the moana.
Open 7 days, 10am - 5pm
Late night Wednesday until 9pm
Free entry, free wifi
Colouring in: Cosmo McMurtry
Cosmo looks a lot like the Easter Bunny to me – and luckily for us Jacinda Ardern has confirmed that the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy are considered essential workers while we're in lockdown!
In the Vast Emptiness by Basil Dowling
Curator Peter Vangioni reads the poem In the Vast Emptiness by Basil Dowling. Back in 2015, when re-opening from our previous forced closure, Peter took this poem as the inspiration for an exhibtion of Canterbury landscapes.
From the hand-washing point of view, this is a two minute marathon, but where's the harm in that?
See all the images at once and find out more about each one.
Girls in a factory by Denis Glover
Kirsty Mathieson, our Administration and Business Support team leader reads 'Girls in a Factory' by Denis Glover.
It's perfectly timed at 21 seconds - just right for washing away those nasty viruses.
Dunedin by Edith Howes
Today Gallery Director Blair Jackson, sometime resident of Dunedin, reads the poem Dunedin by Edith Howes.
That completes one week of lockdown, but hands still need washing thoroughly.
Frances Hodgkins review
Writer Margaux Warne had this to say about our Frances Hodgkins exhibition in the April issue of Artbeat. Sadly the exhibition is off-limits at the moment, but we are working hard on ways of bringing it to life online.
Update from director Blair Jackson
Kia ora koutou. Hello.
I want to let our supporters and art lovers know what we are doing in these difficult times, and how you can still find moments of relief and escape through art. Like much of the world, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū is temporarily closed to our visitors and our staff. Like many of you are experiencing in your own lives, we’ve needed to figure out new ways of working, staying connected as a team, and working out what we can offer and ways that might help us to engage, inspire and connect you with great art and ideas.
Olaf, a painting by Leo Bensemann
This poem by Denis Glover is a direct response to a painting now in the Gallery's collection. It is kindly read by his grand-daughter Pia Glover.
Keep scrubbing those hands.
Rain Rain
Edward Ogle performs Rain Rain Go Away
I don't know about where you are, but in Christchurch today we really do have rain rain. This is a tricky one because we really need that rain, but I also need a walk round the block this afternoon!
This one is only 18 seconds long, but you'll be smiling for at least two extra seconds when it ends, so it will still work very nicely as a timer for your hand-washing .
A student flat in a Christchurch winter
Some more verse to support hand-washing. This poem, inspired by Philip Clairmont's Fireplace, was written and is read by Jane Simpson. From the collection Tuning Wordsworth's piano (Interactive Press, 2019)