Last week, readers learned about Greg Anderson and his background before taking on the role of senior curator at the Sarjeant Gallery in Wanganui.
In part two of this story, I find out his views on the current Sarjeant redevelopment project, the challenges of his role and what he thinks sets the Sarjeant apart from other galleries in New Zealand.
1. What has been the biggest challenge in your role so far?
By far the greatest challenge has unfolded during the past three years or so, with the renewed push to achieve the Sarjeant Gallery redevelopment project.
Such a multi-faceted project has meant that all of us involved have had to quickly learn new skills and work out new project management techniques.
Not only is it a question of ensuring the longevity of one building and the high-spec build of another; it's about creating the facilities to house and care for our great collection while observing best practice standards.
We have worked very hard to arrange public meetings and presentations to make sure that everyone understands that this redevelopment will provide a civic amenity that everyone will feel proud of, that everyone will have access to and which will place Wanganui in the national spotlight for all the right reasons.
2. How are the transition and redevelopment projects going from your perspective as senior curator?
The transition, which can really be seen as the first phase of the redevelopment project, is progressing wonderfully.
It has taken years of planning to get to the point where we are able to move our artworks out of the earthquake-prone Sarjeant building into our temporary space at Taupo Quay.
This whole process is being very ably managed by our curator of collections, Jennifer Taylor Moore, and her excellent staff of transition assistants.
I'm equally pleased and relieved that we've been able to safeguard our collection in optimum conditions at Sarjeant on the Quay where, thanks to a grant from the Lotteries Board, we are finally able to store the work appropriately in custom-built racking and shelving in an environmentally controlled secure space.
3. Is there anything further you would like to say about the redevelopment project?
The collection move to Sarjeant on the Quay will provide, for the first time in around a century, one group of professionals the opportunity to view every single work in the collection.
Each object in the collection will be assessed, inventoried, photographed, flagged for conservation, with grants applied for treatment, and newly-discovered works will be written about and exhibited.
With this more complete information we will be able to develop an online portal through which our collections can be made available not just to our local community, but to the whole world.
4. What do you think sets the Sarjeant Gallery apart from other institutions in New Zealand?
The Sarjeant has more than 5500 artworks spanning four centuries of art history.
The combination of this nationally-significant collection and the wonder of our Historic Places category 1 building are the reasons that we have received such strong support from central government for this project.
When we have completed the redevelopment, the Sarjeant will be one of the best collecting and exhibiting spaces in New Zealand.
We will be just big enough to partner with the larger institutions around the country in bringing wonderful exhibitions and events to Wanganui, and just small enough to be nimble with our programming such that we can continue to offer great programmes and services to our core local community.
Moreover, with others such as the Govett-Brewster in New Plymouth, the MTG in Napier and, of course, the wealth of facilities in the Wellington region, Wanganui will find itself well-positioned to take advantage of its spot on the cultural circuit between institutions in the mid-lower North Island.