Forthrightness and energy remembered
THE woman who left the Dunedin Public Art Gallery to take on the role of chief executive of Te Papa has been remembered as ‘‘on her way to higher things’’ during her time in Dunedin.
Dame Cheryll Sotheran, who died after a long illness on December 30 last year aged 72, was director of the DPAG for about four years from 1989.
Arts identity Marshall Seifert said he had worked with Dame Cheryll to get Japanese experts to come to Dunedin to examine Japanese heritage material that was in the Otago Museum, Olveston, the Dunedin Public Art Gallery and the then Otago Settlers Museum.
‘‘She just backed the thing the whole way.
‘‘She was just so efficient. I was very, very impressed. I think that marked her whole time down here. She was obviously on her way to higher things, as most of our directors have been.
‘‘It was no surprise she got the top job in the country at Te Papa.’’
Dame museum Cheryll’s path to management was through teaching and research in art history.
Born into a Catholic family in Stratford, she went to St Mary’s College in Auckland.
She completed her BA in 1966, then studied for a diploma in teaching from Auckland Secondary Teachers’ College in 1967, before returning to the University of Auckland for postgraduate study. Her MA with firstclass honours in English was conferred in 1969.
After a period lecturing in art history at Auckland University, where she was a founding member of the Feminist Art Network, she was appointed director of the GovettBrewster Art Gallery in 1984.
After five years in New Plymouth she became director of the DPAG. She was appointed chief executive of the Museum of New Zealand project in 1993 and drove the strategic vision for Te Papa.
Colleagues remember her energy and also her forthrightness on many matters.
She was created a Dame Com