FREE
RANGE
ENTERPRISES
(un)LTD
I was director of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu from 2006 until the end of March 2018. It was an extraordinary time – five years closed following the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010-11, but happily also open for six years during my time. We learned a lot and this extraordinary Gallery is in good hands, with the appointment of Blair Jackson as director when I left.
Prior to this time in Christchurch I was at Victoria University of Wellington, working with some great colleagues there to develop a distinctive Art History programme and establishing the Adam Art Gallery on the VUW campus.
In earlier years, I held curatorial positions at the National Gallery of Australia (short term), the Queensland Art Gallery and the former National Art Gallery.
After a period of planning the new Museum of New Zealand, I became the last director of the National Art Gallery in 1990, knowing its future lay in a new and unmapped direction.
I was commissioner for New Zealand’s presentations at the Venice Biennale in 2009 (Judy Millar & Frances Upritchard), 20011 (Michael Parekowhai) and in 2013 (Bill Culbert).
May 2018