Events to remember gallery's founding father

This weekend Sarjeant Gallery will hold a special day to acknowledge Henry Sarjeant.

November 20 was the day Henry Sarjeant was born, in 1829.

On Sunday a morning gathering with karakia in the Old Whanganui Cemetery on the corner of Guyton Street and Heads Road will be held at 9.30am to re-dedicate Mr Sarjeant's grave and to recognise and commemorate his life and good works.

Marco Buerger of Heritage Conservation Ltd has recently undertaken restoration work at the gravesite.

This will be followed by morning tea at Sarjeant on the Quay.

At 3.30pm in the Concert Chamber at the Whanganui War Memorial Centre the inaugural Henry Sarjeant Memorial Lecture will be given by historian Jock Phillips. The lecture will focus on Mr Sarjeant's gift to the city, and the place of benefactors, philanthropy and gifting in New Zealand cultural life.

The public is invited to be present at both of these events. If you would like to attend the morning tea please RSVP for catering purposes to raewyne.johnson@sarjeant.org.nz.

Henry Sarjeant, who was a patron of the arts in Whanganui, died in 1912, leaving a bequest of 30,000 for the establishment of an art gallery in Whanganui. The gallery was named after him, and was opened in September 1919.