Bruce and Dida in the main gallery room.
When Dida M'Raiagh finished her degree, the idea of running an art gallery was far-fetched. But on November 25, only two days after she began her role as manager at the Bruce McLachlan Gallery and Studio, she sat on the window seat with a grin from ear to ear.
"There's
no going back!"
The bright 22-year-old finished study at the end of last year and began working in graphic design. Now, she works and lives at the gallery with her own section of the 1930s renovated house dedicated to her design and art work.
The front section is a beautifully decorated gallery, which fits perfectly with the renovated home. Looking at the tastefully art-covered walls, it is hard to tell the vastly different pieces are all by the same artist - Bruce.
Dida said her goal is to see the gallery as a hub for the arts and creativity, with hopes to bring in original jewellery items and other handmade crafts from around the Waikato to complement Bruce's art work. The gallery is solely for Bruce's art at this stage, and Dida said she likes it that way as it is his lifelong dream, but she continues to commission work from her own small studio in the back of the house and said the job has offered her the time she needs to work on her own projects.
