Kā Kaupapa o te Wā
What’s On
Raymond McIntyre: A Modernist View
Dynamic and progressive paintings and woodcuts from one of Aotearoa’s New Zealand foremost modernist artists.
Living Archives
Archives that tell stories about artists and history in Aotearoa
Whāia te Taniwha
Māori artists consider the enduring relevance of taniwha in Aotearoa.
E tuwhera ana te wharetoi i kā rā e 7 o te wiki, 10am - 5pm
Ka tuwhera ki te 9pm i kā pō Wenerei
Open 7 days, 10am - 5pm
Late night Wednesday until 9pm
Uruka utukore, ahokore utukore
Free entry, free wifi
Notes
The Polar Bear by John Summers
Lily and Thomas Semple, whose Dad (Neil Semple) works with us - as did their Mum (Lara Strongman) until recently - read John Summers's poem The Polar Bear.
So this one is for all of you in lockdown with children. Children who perhaps like Billy in this poem will not go to bed when they should.
For handwashing purposes it's over a minute long, so perhaps ideal for washing a whole load of little hands in turn.
Notes
There Is Only One Direction by James K Baxter
Dr Peter Simpson reads James K Baxter's poem There Is Only One Direction. Baxter wrote this poem in response to Colin McCahon's painting of the same name, now in the collection of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū.
The poem has been generously provided by the Hocken Collections - Uare Taoka o Hākena and is reproduced with kind permission of the family of James K. Baxter.
Notes
There is a Solemn Wind Tonight by Katherine Mansfield
Visitor Host Michael Purdie reads a favourite Katherine Mansfield poem.
Matching a work from our collection for this gentle verse proved difficult. The wind in New Zealand is rarely solemn or gentle and whether coming from north, south or east, it's always vicious. This is reflected in our paintings which depict plenty of dramatic storms, but little that could be called gentle.
In any event we hope you enjoy washing your hands to both Katherine Mansfield and to Juliet Peter's Rising Wind. Rising into a hurricane force storm no doubt.
Notes
For a Child by Denis Glover
Sumner beach may be off limits at the moment but we hope this poem will stir some happy memories. It did for the reader, Rupert Glover, the poet's son, who says he 'grew up on Sumner beach.'
Collection
Billy Apple FROM THE CHRISTCHURCH ART GALLERY TE PUNA O WAIWHETŪ COLLECTION
Started in 1988, Billy Apple’s From the Collection… series engaged art collectors in a relationship that was conceptual as well as financial. By bringing the transaction between artist and buyer centre stage, Billy made ownership details – often unstated, or located discretely in a wall label like this one – the content of the painting itself. The series expanded to include a range of corporate, private and public collections, including Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū. While Billy’s distinctive typography and spatial arrangement (influenced by the golden ratio) were non-negotiable, he agreed the finer details of the works with each prospective owner – colour, shape, size, even the inclusion of corporate logos. In this case, the Gallery requested the addition of a macron for ‘Waiwhetū’.
Notes
Theatre Beautiful
One thing I’m really looking forward to when life returns to a new sense of normality in a post-Covid19 world is visiting a movie theatre – a treat I’ve taken for granted until a couple of weeks ago. In Theatre Beautiful, Dunedin artist Harry Vye Miller captures the bustling busy interior of Dunedin’s Regent Theatre which opened in the city’s Octagon in 1928. Miller enjoyed this theatre and is known to have attended the opening night. The building thankfully remains fully intact and is one of the gems of Dunedin’s architectural heritage.
Notes
Five Little Piggies
Violet Richards, daughter of our Registrar Gina Irish, recites This Little Piggy Went to Market.
Two hands, right? So play it twice, once for washing each hand.
Notes
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!
Notes
Colouring in: In the Wizard's Garden
This painting looks as if there’s a story happening in it. What do you think that story is?