Tauranga Art Gallery wins big at awards

Penelope Jackson Gallery Director and the corrugated iron-clad Morris Minor that was part of <i>Corrugations</i>.

Tauranga Art Gallery has been judged Best Exhibition in its category at the prestigious New Zealand Museum Awards 2014.

The gallery was presented with the award for Corrugations: the art of Jeff Thomson, an exhibition curated and created by gallery director Penelope Jackson in conjunction with the artist, at an awards ceremony in Hastings last night.

The awards are coordinated by Museums Aotearoa, New Zealand's professional association for public museums and art galleries.

The exhibition was judged Best Exhibition under $20,000 ahead of other shortlisted finalists Dunedin Public Art Gallery and Te Awamutu Museum.

The exhibition was judged Best Exhibition under $20,000 ahead of other shortlisted finalists Dunedin Public Art Gallery and Te Awamutu Museum.

"Winning this award is very empowering for the Gallery team. We have worked very hard, and this is fantastic recognition on a national level," she said.

"I am so grateful to Jeff Thomson for letting us loose with his work. He's tremendously creative and his work so well-loved. This is a real credit to four decades of innovative sculpting with corrugated iron."

Corrugations ran at the Gallery from June to October last year, and has since been touring to other New Zealand locations including Waikato Museum and Hastings Art Gallery. The Gallery recorded record visitor numbers during Corrugations, and the book of the same name, sold out.

Tauranga Art Gallery is on the corner of Wharf and Willow Streets and is open daily from 10am - 4.30pm. Admission is by donation.

Visit the website www.artgallery.org.nz or phone 07 578 7933 for further information.