Tauranga Art gallery one of NZ’s best

International travel and lifestyle website Culture Trip has named Tauranga Art Gallery as one of the top seven galleries in New Zealand. Photo: Tracy Hardy.

It's what many have known for a long time now – one of the best art galleries in New Zealand can be found right here in Tauranga.

In April, the Tauranga Art Gallery was named as one of the top seven galleries in the country by Culture Trip, an international travel and lifestyle website that attracts more than five million readers per month and has a following of 1.5 million on social media around the world.

Also named in the list were Auckland Art Gallery, City Gallery Wellington, Christchurch Art Gallery, Dunedin Public Art Gallery, The Sarjeant Gallery in Whanganui, and New Plymouth's Govett-Brewster Art Gallery.

Director Karl Chitham says the Culture Trip editorial is a great endorsement of the Tauranga Art Gallery.

'To be mentioned in this list aimed at international travellers, alongside the larger metropolitan galleries is something we are incredibly proud of.”

In her editorial for Culture Trip, contributor Thalita Alves points out the Tauranga Art Gallery is a relative newcomer to New Zealand's arts scene that is 'quickly earning a reputation for its high quality exhibits”.

'An active lineup of displays from New Zealand and around the globe continues to be featured in this modern, central-city space.

'In fact, the Tauranga Art Gallery has recently made history by hosting the largest public display of Banksy originals in the Southern Hemisphere.”


Brisbane street artist Sofles creating his work ‘Perspexive 2' for the Paradox Inside exhibition. Photo: Luke Shirlaw

The 22 Bansky works appear in TAG's latest exhibition Paradox Inside which is being held in partnership with the Tauranga City Council and Oi You!, and is one of the major drawcards of the inaugural Paradox: Tauranga Street Art Festival.

Paradox Inside also features works created by other renowned artists like Faile, Paul Insect, Swoon and Anthony Micallef, six massive installations created especially for the exhibition, plus a fascinating virtual reality experience created by Melbourne artist Rone.

Marketing and media coordinator Martine Rolls says since Paradox Inside opened to the public on March 28, nearly 33,000 visitors have visited the gallery.

'We launched our 10th anniversary programme with Paradox Inside, and people are traveling from Auckland, the Waikato and further afield to see it. There is a real, ongoing buzz in the gallery which we hope to see continue as our birthday celebrations roll out over the year.”

Paradox Inside can be seen in Tauranga until June 15, after which the gallery's 10th anniversary programme continues with more exciting exhibitions.

This includes an atrium show by Auckland-based artist Sara Hughes, traditional Korean drawing project by Jae Kang, local artist Todd Couper's first survey exhibition, a collection show curated by former gallery director Penelope Jackson, and The 80s Show.

Papamoa-based artist Kereama Taepa has also been commissioned to create one of his distinctive graphic works inside the Tauranga Art Gallery lift.

To check out all the wonderful art and exhibitions on show at the Tauranga Art Gallery, visit artgallery.org.nz


The Tauranga Art Gallery can be found on the corner of Wharf and Willow streets in downtown Tauranga. File Photo.

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4 comments

Outstanding!

Posted on 10-05-2017 12:40 | By morepork

This endorsement is a tribute to the management and staff of the Gallery who are obviously doing a great job. There are still many in Tauranga who see the Art Gallery as a "waste of our money" but when it is establishing an international reputation, we should be proud it went ahead, nevertheless. It's pretty hard to go there and NOT find something of interest or thought provoking. I hope some of the naysayers will soften their position on it and I strongly recommend paying it a visit before you criticize and condemn.


@Morepork

Posted on 10-05-2017 13:40 | By Papamoaner

You said it all mate. But you won't sway the naysayers. They were brought up that way and in the main the defect is permanent. It's called bigotry.


Guys

Posted on 10-05-2017 16:36 | By NZer

If we had a rates surplus each year im sure the nah sayers would be quite happy to have this. What they were all saying was we are in a dire financial position and this just adds to the situation. Everyone has to live within their means, including the TCC...


@NZer

Posted on 11-05-2017 15:02 | By Papamoaner

That's a view many people have, but dig deeper. It is now globally normal for councils to diversify and invest, thus reducing rates. For example, take a look at Dunedin city council investment portfolio for 2016 - $95 million! Even if a small part of that is raw profit, it's a big rates reduction. And that doesn't include art in all its forms attracting visitors and tourists to the city with huge advantage. It's called the BIG PICTURE.


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