Arthur said that one of the gallery’s ambitions has been to establish a firm time and date for the tours.
“The tours won’t be cancelled and they’ll always be on that day at that time. The intention is that as they become known, people will say, ‘Oh, it’s the last Friday of August, or any other month. Let’s do that today’.
“Even if people have done one before, the next one they do will be different because each staff member is going to host one.”
Staff will talk about the redevelopment of the Sarjeant, about the earthquake strengthening of the original building and the co-design of the new building, Te Pātaka o Ta Te Atiwhai Archie John Taiaroa, and tell stories about the site, the Gallery and its founder, Henry Sarjeant.
They will also introduce visitors to the various exhibitions and tell stories about the artists, the artworks, and how they came to be in the collection.
Arthur’s communications background will inform the tour she leads and she gives a hint about what people may expect from other gallery staff.
“I love all the stories and the histories behind the people. Jennifer Taylor [curator of collections] might tell you about the amazing collection of artworks and the story of Frederick Goodall and his painting Flight into Egypt, whereas Greg Donson [senior curator and programmes manager], who is a contemporary art fanatic, might talk about why these are works we really need to pay attention to.
“He is very good at giving a steer on how to look at things. Cecelia Kumeroa [curator – programmes and engagement] will talk about the design of the pataka.”
Kumeroa, now a curator at the gallery, was the leader of Te Kā hui Toi – the group of artists that worked with architects Warren and Mahoney on the co-design.
Arthur said they hope that through the tours, people will connect more with the gallery and consider joining Friends of the Sarjeant Gallery.
While the tours are free, donations are welcome.
Billie Lawson, iSite Whanganui visitor centre manager, is thrilled the tours are up and running and, importantly for visitors planning a trip to Whanganui, will be a regular, scheduled event.
“The gallery is such a treasure,” Lawson said.
“It’s fantastic to have something regular we can steer people towards when out-of-town visitors call us. We can say, well, this is actually happening on this date, and they might be able to plan their visit around the tour if it’s something they don’t want to miss.”
Lawson likes the idea of different staff leading the tours and the different, behind-the-scenes stories they will be able to share.
“Even if you’re a local, you could do it more than once and still come away with things that you didn’t know before.
“A guided tour by someone who knows the place and the artworks offers much more value than just wandering around looking at things.
“The gallery staff and the curators are so passionate about what they do, and they can explain things in a really good, real way so that you can understand a lot better.”
