Art lovers dig deep for gallery
A fundraiser for one of Nelson’s muchloved galleries has come up trumps, showing the region’s passion for art is alive and well.
The Suter Art Gallery’s Mid-Winter Spectacular fundraising event, raised a staggering $70,600, which ‘‘exceeded our expectations’’, gallery director Julie Catchpole said.
‘‘Which was really wonderful.’’
The money raised is earmarked for obtaining permanent art for the gallery’s collection, which is continually extended and built on.
Catchpole said the mantra in collecting artwork was for it to be ‘‘locally relevant and nationally significant’’.
‘‘That means that it will have meaning to people here, or created by an artist in the region or inspired by the region.’’
She said a good example of permanent pieces the gallery owned included prolific New Zealand artists Bill Hammond and Rita Angus.
Hammond’s All Along the Heaphy Highway piece, acquired by The Suter, is not only exhibited in the gallery but is also recreated on the pocket park wall by Elma Turner Library.
‘‘He is a very important artist on the national stage but that particular work has a story that connects very much to this region.’’
Angus’ The Apple Pickers, was owned by The Suter, and would be on display later this year in a Rita Angus exhibition, Catchpole said.
‘‘That is an important work in her career and it also tells a story from this region. It has got our skyline as the backdrop; and the group of people pictured in it, you will still find groups of people from all round the world involved in fruit picking.
‘‘Those are the sort of artworks that a fundraiser like this enables us to buy.’’
But she said how many pieces more than $70,000 would buy was unknown.
‘‘It could buy one or it could buy several.’’
The support for the event held at Hopgoods Restaurant was extraordinary, she said. ‘‘A huge thank you to everyone that donated work and put their hands in their wallets. We had some incredibly generous donations to make the auction possible.’’
In 2019, the gallery celebrated a milestone of 120 years.
‘‘It will have meaning to people here, or created by an artist in the region or inspired by the region.’’ Julie Catchpole
Suter Art Gallery director
Nelson artist and The Bishop Suter Trust chair Craig Potton is also on the acquisition committee, sourcing art.
He said there was a long wish-list of art the money could go towards.
While the ratepayers funded the gallery, he said the actual collection of art was funded by ‘‘people who care about art in Nelson’’. ‘‘Specific art loving people of Nelson and beyond Nelson.’’
The fundraising evening not only had people digging deep but also brought out those who had art to offer the gallery.
The fundraising evening had punters ‘‘bidding very spiritedly to buy artworks and packages’’, Potton said, but also after the auction, some offered works by Barraud, Gully and Woollaston asking if The Suter would be interested in taking them. He said gifted works of art made up a small portion of the collection.
‘‘The art world is a tremendously generous world.’’
Artworks by renowned artists such as Karl Maughan, Michael Dell, Sir Grahame Sydney, Robin Slow and Joe Sheehan were auctioned off alongside fine wines, designer bags and experience packages at the fundraiser.
Guests dined on a specially designed menu by top chef Kevin Hopgood and his team. A Karl Maughan artwork sold for $35,500.