Gallery focuses on community

New Tauranga Art Gallery director Karl Chitham. Photo/Andrew Warner

The Tauranga Art Gallery plans to bring some exciting projects and events to the Bay, with initiatives to make art accessible to new audiences and encourage families to see what the gallery is all about.

New gallery director Karl Chitham says some of these projects will be focused on creating links with innovative thinkers in the community such as IT and technology developers and new industries.

"This is a really exciting and progressive place to be at the moment, and I want the Tauranga Art Gallery to reflect that spirit," he says.

Chitham, who was the curator at Rotorua Museum for three years, has held a variety of positions in the arts sector including teaching, writing and curating, as well as working on events and as an artist.

He feels he has a good understanding of the needs of a broad range of visitors, and wants to ensure that the Tauranga Art Gallery can cater to a lot of different tastes and needs.

Tauranga Art Gallery has established itself as one of the premier regional art spaces in New Zealand, and Chitham says the exhibition and events programme has gone from strength to strength through the work of previous directors and staff.

"Although I have only just come into the role, I can see lots of exciting possibilities for extending on this amazing legacy," he says.

The new gallery director points out that the Tauranga Art Gallery has a great track record of showing a mixture of both historical and contemporary artwork.

"I want to add to this by also responding to some of the amazing artists and artwork being produced in Tauranga and the wider Bay of Plenty, and highlight local stories and communities," he says.

"We have a really successful programme of education and public events that is a core part of what we do and how we connect to the people of Tauranga, which I would like to continue to grow and develop.

"There's also an opportunity to create exciting projects and events that will make Tauranga Art Gallery a destination for visitors from Auckland, Wellington and further afield."