Building, Rebuilding & Development Air Force Museum Canterbury Museum Len Lye Centre Toitu Contents Museums Aotearoa

Eds Quarter 3 Te Tari o Ngã Whare Taonga o te Motu Staff Changes 3 Is New Zealand’s independent peak professional organisation for museums and those who work in, or have an interest in, museums. Members include Message from the Board 4 museums, public art galleries, historical societies, science centres, people who work within these institutions and individuals connected or associated with Canterbury Museum 6 arts, culture and heritage in New Zealand. Our vision is to raise the profile, strengthen the preformance and increase the value of museums and galleries Air Force Museum 8 to their stakeholders and the community

Len Lye Centre 10 Staff Service IQ 11 Executive Director – Phillipa Tocker Membership Services Manager – Talei Langley Associate Profile: iTicket 11

Clark Collection Scholarship 12 Contact Details Level 8, 104 The Terrace, Wellington 6011 Sarjeant Gallery 14 PO Box 10-928, Wellington 6143 Tel: 04 499 1313 Policy Matters! 16 Fax: 04 499 6313 Email: [email protected] Book Reviews 18 Web: www.museumsaotearoa.org.nz

Te Ara 19 Advertising Toitū 20 Enquiries about advertising in this publication, or mailing flyers, should be addressed to the Museums Aotearoa office National Library 22

Museum Profile: Disclaimer Cotter Medical History Trust 23 The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Editor or of Museums Aotearoa My Favourite Thing 24 Contributions We welcome article suggestions and contributions. Cover images For enquiries about contributing to MAQ please contact us at [email protected]. Main: Micheal Parekowhai, On first looking into Chapman's Homer. John Collie, Photographer, Christchurch Art Gallery Next issue May 2013: Leadership and Advocacy Lower: Toitu Otago Settlers Museum Coach & Horses ISSN 1177-7362

2 MAQ February 2013 EDs Quarter Staff Moves

At the start of a new year we inevitably think back on last year and look Senior Curator Helen Kedgley has been promoted forward to what's ahead. 2012 was not an easy year for our sector, with to the new position of Director at Pataka ART increasing economic, social and political challenges, and we expect these to + Museum. Current General Manager Darcy continue in 2013. These challenges have generated an unprecedented amount Nicholas retired at the end of last year. of 'churn' in senior positions – over a quarter of our medium/large museums have had a change of director in the past year. Andrew Matheson has been appointed Director, WW1 Centenary Programme, with the Ministry This churn has a number of drivers, and has 'trickle down' consequences. for Culture and Heritage, following a diplomatic The good news is that many museums are facing these challenges proactively, career. taking the opportunity to make changes which will better equip them for the future. We have been aware of the new vision and consequent restructuring Leanne Wickham has moved from the Dowse at Te Papa, and similar exercises at other museums such as Waikato, Aratoi, Art Museum to be Director of Upper Hutt's Hawke's Bay and Wellington. Expressions Art & Entertainment Centre, replacing Stephanie Cottrill who left last year. This issue of MAQ brings you first-hand reports of some recent developments and re-developments from around the country. These are positive – and also Grant Collie has returned from Australia to be challenging. Some are complete, and others still in the early stages. There is Director of the Wanganui Riverboat Centre, taking something to be learned from all of them. over from Stuart Perry who has moved to Tasmania.

One lesson is that change is inevitable. As well as 'fallout' from the Canterbury Aratoi has engaged Robin Dunlop as part time earthquakes, such as the safety of heritage buildings, changing expectations acting Director while they look at options for the of funders and the public demand new ways of working. I explored these future. Robin has a long involvement with heritage questions and challenges in a presentation at the INTERCOM 2012 and tourism in the Wairarapa. conference last November, and bring you an abridged version of that paper in Policy Matters! (p16). MOTAT has announced the appointment of Michael Frawley as CEO, replacing Jeremy The conference was titled #museumchallenges. While there are no hard and Hubbard who resigned last year. Mr Frawley was fast answers to these challenges, it is good to understand them so we are a partner an international law firm and involved better prepared to find our way through. with the National Portrait Gallery in the UK.

Looking ahead for Museums Aotearoa, we have another busy year. The first Director Jeanette Richardson has joined the quarter is filled with conference, awards, visitor survey, audit and annual National Army Museum in Waiouru after several reporting. We are also working on analysis of the sector survey data which years as CE at the Waitangi National Trust. we gathered late last year. This will be a valuable tool for advocacy, both nationally and for individual museums. Puke Ariki, Otago Museum and the NZ Cricket Museum are yet to announce new leaders, and We look forward to bringing you these tools and opportunities, and working Auckland Art Gallery will need to replace with you over the coming year. Director Chris Saines when he leaves in March.

Phillipa Tocker Executive Director

2013 February MAQ 3 Message from the Board

I last wrote for MA Quarterly in November 2010. basement needs re-levelling before other repairs (primarily to the glass It’s hard now to re-imagine that time with clarity, façade, systems and fixtures in the ceilings and the ceilings themselves) are but damage to the central city and to Christchurch begun. We also propose to retro-fit base isolation to increase the building’s Art Gallery was minimal after the September seismic capability and enable us to offer an increased level of reassurance to 2010 earthquake. private and institutional lenders from elsewhere.

Used then by Civil Defence for 10 days, we de- Debates continue with insurers, lawyers and engineers about methodology, installed two shows a little earlier than planned, priorities and acceptable levels of risk. Systems set up for normal decision- but evicted our unexpected guests in time for the making are not as agile as we would like. It’s time-consuming and installation of the largest exhibition ever shown demoralising to be in our building, but unable to gain daily pleasure and in Christchurch. ‘Ron Mueck’ attracted 135,400 sustenance that daily direct interactions with our collections, exhibitions and paying visitors, an astounding 66% of them local. our visitors afford us. As I said in the director’s foreword of our quarterly Mueck’s work struck a chord with Canterbury Bulletin 160, ‘C an someone please say ‘zap’ and have [these repairs] done!’ audiences. Its depictions of birth, death and its unusual cast of human characters, summarised So what are the lessons we can take from what has happened? Aotearoa New and symbolised our collective concerns at the Zealand is not known as the shaky isles for no good reason. If a build, re-build interruption to life. People struck up conversations or development is being considered for a museum or gallery, please do not be within the exhibition with unknown others; it persuaded that normal building standards are adequate for the protection of helped expose a healing process that, even then, collections and for your ability to function and provide the cultural heart a we knew would take a while. city needs when it’s ‘down’. Don’t think it’s a luxury to have the best possible systems and back-up and think about and build in precautionary measures. At an incredibly upbeat evening opening on 10 It’s not difficult to secure shelving and filing systems and to introduce regular February 2011, we confidently announced we were file back-up and a series of safety measures for staff and information. Make celebrating a new year, a major gift, one year of sure your funders, civil defence and local authorities have disaster plans which the Challenge Grant, one extraordinary bequest, take account of what support you can and cannot provide. These lessons all two new attendance records, nine newly-made seem obvious to us now. works of art, launching three new publications and opening three new exhibitions. What a triumph! But, on the positive side, a period of unplanned closure such as ours also affords an opportunity to re-think our purpose. Sadly we had to lay off some As they say, the rest is history. Christchurch Art staff, but we have managed to maintain a core team of people committed to Gallery remains closed following a more major creating a great ‘Gallery without Walls’. Surprisingly exhilarating at times, earthquake twelve days later. Used again for civil some wonderful highs have balanced the lows of existence in a pretty-well defence and as the emergency HQ, the building demolished and empty central city. was only vacated when the demolition of a next- door apartment block became urgent. Over While our collections are largely unavailable, we’ve found new ways to make time, liquefaction under the building’s basement these accessible online. Our award-winning ‘My Gallery’ function has proved car-park has caused ‘differential’ settlement. The a winner (have you tried it yet?), and it’s exceptional within our world to be

4 MAQ February 2013 Micheal Parekowhai, On first looking into Chapman's Homer able to say that 90% of our collection is now online Gallery’s ‘Angels & Aristocrats’ finishing its national tour in its own re-freshed with copyright-cleared images. Gallery staff have spaces, we’ve opened a powerful Shane Cotton exhibition in Brisbane’s IMA turned their hand to developing new skills and and will tour this, bringing it back to Christchurch for a grand finale. And supported the tackling of a large range of back-of- we’re working up a trail of Outer Spaces to celebrate our 10th anniversary as house projects with gusto. Christchurch Art Gallery in May 2013.

On the public front, I’m delighted at how we’ve The most profound local impact was made in 2012 with the return of creatively freed-up the boundaries of our activities. Michael Parekowhai’s 2011 Venice Biennale presentation. We could not Our quarterly Bulletin has taken on a new life as, have envisaged the extraordinary layers of meaning this would take on in unable to operate within a particular building, our community’s imagination, an intricately-carved Steinway piano played we’ve taken advantage of working beyond our upstairs with two bronze bulls atop bronze pianos over the road on a very notional ‘patch’ and adopted the city as ours to public site amongst the rubble and destruction. Would it have seemed so affect as we demolish and rebuild. Temporary poignant, so redolent with meaning in our more-manicured gallery spaces? works in transitional spaces have become the norm Would it have invaded the hearts, heads and lives of our citizens to the same and, along with others in the creative and cultural extent? What a lesson for us all. But more than this, how many of us have sectors, we’re giving innovation a go. A wall on an the potential to stay ‘on brand’ and deliver a range of experiences within our empty site in Sydenham now sports a great Wayne communities when the goal posts shift so remarkably? Youle work. Worcester Boulevard was activated by an exemplary temporary exhibition on lit display Here I pay tribute to a remarkable gallery team – and thank Council who boards ‘Reconstruction: conversations on a city’ have stood by and continued their funding (while also expecting significant and, for those wandering in the small hours, dawn- savings). But I’m also grateful to the fact we’d begun working with Morris, to-dusk videos play in the upstairs windows of an Hargreaves & McIntyre on their ‘Move on Up’ programme. Although the empty house. A brilliant wall work by New York- vision and 5-year plan remains unfinished, the manifesto we developed has based artist Kay Rosen looks entirely at home on united our direction despite the destruction of so much around us. Opening an exposed eastern wall. with a simple and unifying key proposition, ‘We’re here because good art really matters’, I expect it continuing as a stalwart guiding principle during Exhibitions are happening above a boutique in forthcoming repairs and impacting on our approach to what we do well Madras Street, within temporary library facilities, beyond re-opening. and soon in a show-home in Wigram. Who would have thought it? We’re opening in a space Jenny Harper above C1 Espresso soon and expecting also to rent Director,Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu COCA when its repairs are completed in mid- 2013. Taking a subliminal cue from Auckland Art

2013 February MAQ 5 Canterbury Museum Looking back, looking forward While 2012 was another earthquake-disrupted year for the Museum – at times feeling like one step forward, two steps back – in reality we’ve made great progress in our own remediation and recovery, and contributed significantly to our community and the city’s rebuild. Late in 2011, after in-depth consultation with all staff, a new staffing structure was agreed. This was rolled out through 2012, leaving us with a slightly smaller, but more tightly focussed team. One of the successes of early earthquake recovery work was the use of project planning and control methodologies, and staff asked for this to be embedded in the new structure. As a result, we now have a Project Office, which coordinates best practice delivery of projects across new tasks, and in some cases aspects of ongoing operations.

Some of the biggest projects are around earthquake remediation of our buildings and collection stores. We came through the summer of 2011-12 on a high with huge crowds coming to Off the Wall: The World of WearableArt and overall visitor numbers almost back to pre-earthquake levels. Then in April, the Museum Board reviewed the engineering reports on the seismic strength The public clamour for the opportunity to see of our buildings and found two of the ‘middle-aged’ buildings potentially inside the Red Zone (which had been cordoned too close to the earthquake-prone line for comfort. So the Museum was off for safe demolition of damaged buildings) saw closed for further seismic investigations, as a result of which extensive spot- us partner with the Red Bus Company to provide strengthening of roof elements in one of those buildings is underway. The daily tours. Staff researched and created an on-bus majority of the public areas of the Museum were reopened from July onwards, interpretation programme and now host multiple and we anticipate having all public galleries open in April this year. tours each day. With over 20,000 people taking the tour to date and giving extremely high approval Our largest collection store containing over 500,000 documentary history ratings, this is one of our most successful public items has been completely cleared, with the collections temporarily stored programmes ever, and a great way to reach out of in a high-quality commercial archive and records facility while the storage the Museum, as well as deliver visitors back to in- furniture is repaired and the building envelope remediated. This vault will Museum programmes. then become a ‘swing space’ for a similar process for each of the remaining significantly damaged stores. The 22 November 2012 opening of a major international touring exhibition, Scott’s Last A second series of high priority projects are around much more publicly- Expedition, saw the culmination of years of focussed programmes for our communities and tourists. We opened a 350 sq planning and development with our partners m temporary exhibition, Canterbury Quakes, on the first anniversary of the The Natural History Museum in London and devastating 22 February 2011 event, which saw a fantastic level of interaction NZ’s Antarctic Heritage Trust. We’ve laid out between local and tourist visitors. That exhibition is now on national tour, and all the evidence of Scott’s final adventure for the currently showing at Otago Museum. visitor to form their own view on the legacy, and reassembled a huge collection of artefacts and scientific specimens which have been dispersed around the world for a century. The biggest show, we’ve ever staged – over 700 sq m – is attracting critical acclaim; don’t forget Museums Aotearoa individual members can get free entry on presentation of your membership card.

6 MAQ February 2013 When Canterbury Quakes left the Museum to tour, civic and tourism leaders were concerned that there would be a void in earthquake interpretation for locals and tourists. And so our most ambitious project to date was born – Quake City. This is a stand-alone attraction telling the stories of Christchurch’s earthquakes located downtown in the Re:Start Container Mall. From an initial multimedia presentation of the Legend of Ruamoko developed in partnership with Ngai Tahu, through a rich range of iconic and quirky objects telling the stories of the various quake events, USAR teams, the role of the Student and Farmy Armies, and the science behind earthquakes - to the future for the city, this 700 sq m exhibit celebrates human resilience in the face of tragedy. Quake City will be open for three years as a key part of the transitional central city, and will be a pay for attraction. It opens to the public on 15 February. The installation of iconic objects is well underway at Quake City. The attraction opens to the public on 15 February Through all this fairly frantic busyness and majority of buildings have gone. We are nearer the beginning of a massive upheaval the Museum team have performed rebuild programme. EQC payouts have topped $4 billion. Compulsory land superbly – including delivering regular miracles! purchases are underway to create large sites for anchor projects such as the Many are involved in - or still face - repairs and Convention Centre. disruptions to their homes. I’m full of admiration for the selfless way in which our people have We tend to focus on buildings when thinking of recovery, but the city’s worked incredibly hard to provide our community horizontal infrastructure faces at least a $2 billion remediation and rebuild. with their Museum once more – and a host of SCIRT – the Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team – is an new programmes. alliance of government agencies and major construction and contracting companies formed to deliver these works. There are 1020 kms of roads – Looking out to the wider Canterbury museums 52% of the city’s roads – to be rebuilt; 51kms of damaged freshwater pipes community, we have continued to offer assistance have been identified so far with more buried beneath damaged roads; 528 and advice to smaller organisations in concert kms or 31% of wastewater pipes await repair or replacement along with with National Services Te Paerangi. A group 100 sewer pumping stations. And then there are stormwater lines, retaining of agencies under the leadership of Therese walls, bridges, etc. Angelo at the Air Force Museum has cooperated towards the formation of a Canterbury Cultural For all this, 2013 has begun with a discernible air of confidence and optimism Collections Recovery Centre. Located at the around the city. The best summer in recent memory has helped, along with Wigram museum, this is poised to be launched Lonely Planet naming Christchurch one of the top 10 world cities to visit by the Governor-General on 19 February when in 2013 – together with Amsterdam and Montreal. There’s a whole lot he opens their fantastic new gallery and workshop happening here, so come visit soon! extensions. The levels of cooperation and mutual support across the whole arts, culture and heritage Anthony Wright sector are amazing – leading to speedy realisation Director, Canterbury Museum of projects and joint ventures that would likely have never got off the ground pre-earthquakes.

In terms of recovery of the city, good progress is being made but there is a very long way to go. The Red Zone has shrunk from an initial 387 hectares to 38 ha. In the CBD, 930 buildings have been fully or partly demolished, with 1399 demolitions across the whole city. A few whole central city blocks are now cleared; for many others the

2013 February MAQ 7 Air Force Museum Something new on the Christchurch skyline

the bottom of the roof trusses, which have been engineered to take up to 3 tonnes of hanging weight each. Overall height is 11 metres. Designed with high insulation values, acoustic baffling, and green features such as rainwater harvesting and solar water heating the building also includes under-floor heating (21 kilometres of pipes) and tempered air supply for the comfort of staff and visitors. The latter is particularly challenging in such a large space. For ease of long term maintenance over such an expansive area, the main floors are planned to remain as exposed concrete and are post tensioned slabs giving a clean flat finish with no expansion joints.

The project was initiated in 2003 and concept plans were accepted in 2005. Two Skyhawks will be joined in the front window by an Like many such projects, progress was not straightforward but by the time Aermacchi. Photo courtesy of Architecture Warren & Mahoney the first Canterbury earthquake struck in September 2010 the expansion had been designed to 95% and was ready to go for building consent. The Museum When you are a museum that has objects of a Trust Board, responsible for raising the capital required, had about 65% of very large scale in your collection, expansion and the funding in place. The subsequent devastating February 2011 earthquake capital development are also on a very large scale. placed the Board in a difficult position. Aftershocks were continuing to Most museums building a new facility to house 25 cause damage, building standards seemed to be in constant review, in many or so objects would need little more than a small places land was deemed unstable and the whole focus of the region was on gallery, but when two of those objects are large demolition. The idea of starting a major construction project amidst such transport aircraft with a wingspan of more than 30 turmoil seemed not just counter-intuitive but extremely risky. How could metres each the gallery needs to be of a significant anyone even get insurance for such a project? Advice that the rebuild of size. On 31 January 2013 the Air Force Museum Christchurch would see construction costs soar and an idea that the Museum of New Zealand received the code compliance could actually be in a position to help Christchurch recovery efforts prompted certificate for a new 6,300 sqm extension to the the Board to make a bold decision – to build what they could afford before existing suite of buildings specially designed to cost escalations reduced the value of what funds were in hand too far. house those large objects. In April 2011 the Board approved the calling of tenders based on the 2009 The Air Force Museum, based on the former design while at the same time the building plans were refined and upgraded RNZAF Base Wigram in Christchurch, is the to meet the new building standards. Tenders were called in June 2011 for custodian of the pre-eminent national collection a phased project (to be built as and when funds allowed) and the building of artefacts which tell the story of New Zealand consent lodged. In October 2011 the Mainzeal team as prime contractors military aviation. The 6,300m² extension has been were on site starting work on the foundations. Almost against the odds, designed to provide proper display conditions for contract works insurance was obtained thanks to the great efforts of an and improve public access to aircraft and other large insurance broker. objects currently in storage; to provide appropriate conservation and restoration facilities; and to improve storage for large objects currently stored off site in sub-standard conditions. The building includes a large, 4,500 sqm gallery for aircraft, with the remainder of the space a purpose designed large object restoration facility. Once occupied, existing spaces will be vacant and able to be redeveloped into large object collection stores so the whole collection can be properly stored on site.

From the team at Architecture Warren & Mahoney the building is a deceptively simple and elegant hangar with a beautiful full height front window. Construction is a mixture of steel frame and metal cladding (interior and exterior), and concrete tilt slab. The gallery is 125m long and seven metres to

Lyttelton Museum collection was moved into the recovery centre area in late January and is available to their members for the first time in two years.

8 MAQ February 2013 However, in the aftermath of the Canterbury earthquakes, the Board then decided to take the extraordinary step of putting the Museum's needs on hold for a period and to offer it for use to benefit the wider community. The Board is partnering with various organisations including the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Lottery Grants Board and the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal Trust to use some of the completed building as a cultural collections recovery centre for the next three years, instead of immediately occupying the facility itself. The Museum has already been able to help salvage and take in a range of collections from a diverse spectrum of organisations from contemporary art to small community museums The first few months on site were spent preparing foundations as an emergency measure. Some 14 organisations now have collections temporarily housed at the Air Force Museum. Much of this material needs to be sorted, cleaned, conserved, re-boxed, catalogued and properly stored until these organisations can re-establish their own buildings or premises again.

With a bit of space left over from the recovery centre work, another opportunity to assist Christchurch arose. This time it is about economic recovery. The Museum Trust Board is partnering with the City Council’s event management company Vbase to use about 1500m² in the new building as a temporary convention centre. This space will accommodate up to 1300 delegates and will be available until a new permanent convention centre is opened in 2016 or 17. Bookings have been confirmed from as early as February 2013. Together with the rebuild of hotels and retail facilities in the centre city, the provision of an The clean lines of the main gallery are designed to showcase the aircraft collection such as this Spitfire attractive venue to bring national and international conferences back to Christchurch before a new fully fledged convention centre is built will have wide economic benefits.

The building is surprisingly adaptable and the two temporary uses sit well within its framework. There will no doubt be challenges in managing museum, recovery and convention activities and juggling their various needs. But it is enormously satisfying to be in a position to contribute to the recovery of Christchurch in such a positive and proactive manner.

The project comes with a $14.3 million price tag and in a few years time will revert to its intended use as a much needed expansion of a significant national museum.

The Museum site at Wigram November 2012 with the new building circled.

2013 February MAQ 9 Len Lye Centre

New Plymouth’s Govett-Brewster Art Gallery celebrated its first 40 years in 2010 with ambitious exhibitions and artists projects. In 2013 it will embark on a new phase of its history with the development of the Len Lye Centre.

The site for the Len Lye Centre is adjacent to the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery on the corner of Queen Street and New Plymouth’s main thoroughfare, Devon Street. The two buildings will inter-connect with a single entrance, forming a new combined facility. The Govett-Brewster and Len Lye Centre will also share a director, programming, staff, education suites, exhibition spaces, a cinema, shop and cafe. This strategy allows the sharing of operational and cultural resources with the Govett-Brewster, thus minimising costs. The Govett-Brewster’s Artist in Residence programme will continue with two outstanding international artists Shilpa Gupta and Alan Sekula already Construction will start in February 2012, with the underway with their residencies and Reuben Paterson also undertaking his project due for completion in 2015. Earthquake project in 2013. strengthening and building compliance requirements will bring the Govett-Brewster up The Len Lye Centre has been designed by Auckland-based architectural firm, to current building code standards. This work Patterson Associates, with a capital construction budget of NZ$10 million. will take place concurrently with the construction of the Len Lye Centre, therefore the Govett- A major redevelopment is one of the largest challenges an organisation can Brewster building will be closed for the duration undertake, and particularly so within the current economic climate. However, of the anticipated two year construction period. we have been delighted with the excellent support gained so far – from The cafe, however, will remain open for most of central government, the corporate sector, private trusts and individuals; says this two year period. Ms Devenport.

Rhana Devenport, Gallery Director says that The $3 million contribution from Todd Energy towards the project is the while the building itself will be closed, the largest single donation from a corporation to an arts project in New Zealand. Govett-Brewster will remain active in the local, Todd Energy Chief Executive Paul Moore said of the investment: national and international communities with a dynamic programme of exhibitions, events and Todd Energy is committed to the growth of Taranaki and to investing in the interventions. local community. We believe the Len Lye Centre will be a valuable asset for New Plymouth and for New Zealand and we look forward to being a part of it. An important collaboration with City Gallery Wellington, the Len Lye Foundation and the New The Gallery's vision is to offer powerful and memorable experiences generated Zealand Film Archive will see a major Len Lye by the art and ideas of Len Lye and to continue the Govett-Brewster’s vital exhibition, Len Lye: Kaleidoscope, opening at the history as New Zealand’s most courageous contemporary art museum. The City Gallery on 1 March 2013. new combined facility opening in 2015 will allow us to launch an innovative new platform for our work at the intersection of art and ideas over the next Locally, we are building on our successful tour 40 years. in 2012 of Laurence Aberhart photographs to regional Taranaki galleries. We are mounting The $10 million targeted for construction has been committed as follows: focused exhibitions from our Collection; the • $1m – TSB Community Trust, committed in 2009 first of these is Word Works which opens at Percy • $4m – Ministry for Arts Culture and Heritage Regional Museum Policy Fund, Thompson Gallery in Stratford in April. The Fritz 2011 Reuter Gallery in Inglewood and the Lysaght- • $0.5m – Lotteries’ Environment and Heritage Fund, 2011 Watt Gallery in Hawera will also be valued • $3m – Todd Energy, 2011 partners, she says. • $0.2m – private trusts and individuals, 2012 • Underwrite of the remaining required amount – TSB Community Trust, 2012 Concurrently we are continuing various public programmes, such as our Monica Brewster Rhana Devenport Evening talks, in alternate venues during the Director, Govett-Brewster Art Gallery transition period.

10 MAQ February 2013 Service IQ

Haere mai ServiceIQ contribution of approximately 14 per cent towards GDP. In addition, the service sector supports one of New Zealand’s largest export industries – On 1 January 2013, the Aviation, Tourism and tourism – which earned approximately $9.7 billion in the year to March 2011. Travel Training Organisation (ATTTO), the Hospitality Standards Institute (HSI) and Retail We want to assure the museums sector that size does not matter, however. Institute merged, transforming into ServiceIQ: Even though museums represent a small percentage of these businesses the new Industry Training Organisation (ITO) across the industry sector, ServiceIQ will continue to deliver a high level of for the Aviation, Travel, Tourism, Museums, service across this sector. Hospitality, Retail and Wholesale sectors of New Zealand’s service industry. ServiceIQ is the one central point of contact for service businesses and employees, reducing duplication, administrative and compliance costs for ‘Shorthand’ for service industry qualifications that employers. The combined force will have better outcomes for trainees, such as develop smarter people for smarter businesses, the ability to transfer their skills and to receive the better quality training and ServiceIQ aims to have a world class New Zealand assessment that a larger-scale organisation can facilitate. service industry through qualified people. A key benefit of the new ITO is that it will be able to offer a wider range of ServiceIQ sets standards, develops qualifications qualifications covering all vital core skills that are transferrable across these and arranges training for the accommodation, service sector industries. Skills specific to each industry will not be lost aviation, bars and restaurants, cafes, clubs, food either, with the provision of specialist qualifications continuing under the services, museums, quick service restaurants, retail, one umbrella. tourism, travel and wholesale sectors. Of course, it is through on-going engagement with industry that our Around one in five people work in the almost qualifications retain their quality and relevance and offer a return on investment 70,000 businesses in the sectors represented by for business. ServiceIQ plans to actively increase its engagement across all our ServiceIQ, many of them small to medium-sized industries to continue the discussions that ensure we create fit for purpose businesses (SMEs), as well as large national qualifications, from apprenticeships through to management levels. organisations. The sectors ServiceIQ represents contributed approximately $27.4 million to the Maintaining a collaborative approach by working with industry will continue New Zealand economy in 2011. This is a sizeable to enable us to appreciate the complexity of our sector, and acknowledge the employment variations and requirements within it. This in turn will allow us to take every opportunity to raise public awareness of the exciting careers and career pathways that our large and growing service sector provides.

By helping produce a workforce with nationally recognised qualifications who contribute to greater productivity and profitability for the service industry, ServiceIQ will help increase our sectors’ contribution to the national economy.

ServiceIQ is working smarter. www.ServiceIQ.org.nz

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2013 February MAQ 11 Clark Collection Scholarship United Kingdom, 2012 The Clark Collection/Creative New Zealand scholarship was established in 2003 by financier, art connoisseur and heritage advocate Errol Clark with significant support from Creative New Zealand. This unique scholarship provides an opportunity for New Zealand Members of the 61st Attingham Summer School, 2012 professionals in the built The 2012 scholarship offered the recipient three short internships with the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, the National Trust and English heritage and decorative arts Heritage. I had the very good fortune and absolute privilege of being awarded the ninth scholarship and in mid-June, 2012 I left for the UK for nearly seven field to expand their knowledge weeks of what was to be the most intense period of learning I had experienced since my University career. through attending the My first internship was with the Victoria and Albert Museum. During my prestigious Attingham Summer time there I had appointments with curators working in the photography, ceramic and glass departments as well as staff in the contemporary department whose School in England. focus is on a regularly changing contemporary programme and associated events. Visiting the Sackler Centre for arts education was also extremely beneficial to see the broad spectrum of educational programmes that the museum offers. Of particular relevance was their artist-in-residence programme, as the Sarjeant Gallery hosts one of the longest running residency programmes in the country at Tylee Cottage. The V&A’s programme directly engages with the Museum’s collection and gave me some interesting ideas for how we may get future artists to work with our collection during their time in Wanganui. It was also beneficial to view the spaces and facilities available in the Sackler Centre in light of considering final plans for our redevelopment project.

During my time at the V&A I was based in the Furniture, Textiles and Fashion Department who were in the midst of working on a new Furniture Gallery as part of the Museum’s Futureplan project. Although the gallery has since opened, in December 2012 I was lucky enough to visit the space while it was still a building site with curators from the department. It was a great opportunity to discuss with them how the show (comprising over 200 pieces of British and European furniture design) would look in the space and new interactive technologies that they would be using for exhibition interpretation for the first time, including digital labels with a touch screen interface.

The second week was spent with the National Trust visiting a range of properties and studying how their collections were looked after and presented to visitors and discussing with staff the methods of interpretation Greg Donson outside Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire that the Trust has and will use to engage a broad spectrum of visitors to its numerous and varied properties both now and into the future . Highlights of the week were a visit to the Sandham Memorial Chapel at Burghclere where

12 MAQ February 2013 British painter Stanley Spencer completed an epic series of large-scale murals between 1927 - 1932 to commemorate the ‘forgotten dead’ of the First World War. Another highlight was a day at Waddesdon Manor, a nineteenth century house built in the style of a French Chateau where there was a wonderful series of works by ceramicist Edmund de Waal that were made in response to the rich collections and interiors. Days spent at Knole and Sissinghurst were also extremely memorable

With English Heritage I spent two days on the Isle of Wight visiting Osborne House, the private home of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. This Italianate residence houses an amazing collection of furniture and art that is a reflection of the couple’s personal tastes. As with previous recipients of the scholarship Broughton Castle, Oxfordshire, England I was asked by English Heritage to prepare a report giving my thoughts on visitor experience and interpretation at Osborne House, Coupled with this were visits to galleries such as the National Gallery, Portrait Gallery, Tate The second half of my time in the UK was spent participating in the Attingham Modern, Britain and Liverpool and also the Summer School. Now in its 61st year, the Summer School was established Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool and the Lady Lever by the Attingham Trust in 1952. The summer school allows participants to Art Gallery in Port Sunlight. Visiting all of these study the architectural and social history of the English Country House galleries gave me wonderful exposure to current and its gardens and landscape setting. I was one of forty eight participants curatorial practice in Britain and allowed me to from around the world who for eighteen days had the privilege of visiting view works that had only previously existed in my properties in Sussex, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Dorset. In total mind in reproduction. we visited thirty properties and studied their contents including paintings, sculpture, furniture, ceramics, silver, textiles and other applied arts – as well In summary the scholarship was a wonderful as the planning, decorative treatment and use of the interiors. Visits to experience that broadened my horizons and gave properties were supplemented by an excellent series of lectures which gave me many ideas to pursue. I am extremely grateful further context to the places we were visiting. for the generosity of Errol Clark, Creative New Zealand, Museums Aotearoa and all the British Participating in the Summer School really was a once in a lifetime opportunity. institutions and individuals who generously We were granted very privileged access to a wide range of properties, many gave their time and shared their knowledge and of which are still under private ownership. I can safely say that the summer expertise. I am also grateful to the Wanganui school was a perfect blend of a curatorial boot camp, rehabilitation and being District Council, my colleagues and family who an active participant in an eighteen day episode of the Antiques Road Show. were all very supportive. Through the internships and the Summer School, my understanding of the issues surrounding built heritage and the preservation and presentation of the Greg Donson decorative arts has significantly increased and opened my eyes to new ways Curator and Public Programmes Manager, of interpretation. Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua Whanganui

Attic, Knole, Sevenoaks, Kent

2013 February MAQ 13 Sarjeant Gallery Our seismically-challenged building

Ownership and stewardship of a The issues that face the Sarjeant in particular are varied: concern about the physical structure of the building; the Gallery’s position in the context of ninety-four year old building is, Wanganui’s exposure to risk with its multitude of earthquake-prone buildings (more than fifty on the Council property portfolio alone); the cost of seismic in itself, a weighty responsibility. strengthening (or the costs of doing nothing); and public perceptions about the relative risks involved when living in a shaky part of the country. When this building is an icon of The Sarjeant Gallery is a fine unreinforced double-brick structure built in New Zealand culture, a symbol 1919, long before there was any notion of a building code incorporating an understanding of earthquake resistance. Such is the quality of the building of the city and district in which that it has recently won an award from the NZIA for 'Enduring Architecture'. When it rated so lowly as a percentage of the NBS, the Council’s Chief it is situated, an historic place Executive had to respond in terms of his responsibilities to the staff and public under the Health & Safety Act. with a category 1 listing, and The costs associated with strengthening the Sarjeant will run into millions rated at only 5% of the current of dollars. The exact cost will depend on the level to which the building will be, or technically can be, strengthened. The decision whether it needs to be New Building Standard (NBS), made safe (say to 67% of the standard for Importance Level 3 buildings*, such that people can escape it unscathed) or that it should be strengthened to as well as housing a collection the extent that it can remain functional and viable post-event, has yet to be made. The debate as to whether anything should be done at all has been had of national significance, it is – abandoning the building and hibernating the collection with its associated financial, legal and reputational implications has been completely discounted not difficult to imagine the as an option by Council. complexities and challenges that The other hurdle faced by the Gallery and Council, in light of the health and safety issue, is the public perception of risk. Thanks to numerous statistical face the Sarjeant Gallery and its analyses post-Christchurch, we all now know that one is more likely to die in a car accident on the way to the Gallery than to meet your demise inside it parent, the Wanganui District during an earthquake. Wanganui’s exposure to a Christchurch-sized quake is also remote – something like a one in 4000 year event – and it is this kind Council. All of these concerns of statistic that causes the public to recoil when they are told their beloved institutions are in danger and indeed dangerous to enter. The public are then feed into the urgency that has exposed to articles of variable quality and accuracy in local papers, and the millions required to shore-up buildings, which have stood steadfastly through given rise once again to the their lives and those of their grandparents, seem unpalatable especially when local body rating is already perceived as too high. It is a great challenge Sarjeant Gallery Redevelopment to all in this predicament (particularly with the Sarjeant) to make people realise that their personal sense of safety has no bearing on the employer’s Project. statutory obligations, and the resultant prudent and measured response the Chief Executive is making.

For the Sarjeant, this response comes in the form of a temporary move from our existing premises – a move which would have been required anyway, once the redevelopment began. The Gallery’s entire operation including a reduced exhibition programme, education programme, collection, shop and staff quarters, will be temporarily rehoused in suitably strengthened, refitted and environmentally-controlled buildings. These linked premises in the central city will serve as the Gallery’s base of operations until the redevelopment is complete. It is likely that we will move into the new accommodation in late 2013.

In the meantime, it is currently proposed that temporary prefab classrooms and offices be erected on the lawn on the north side of the Gallery, where the new extension is planned. This will mean that the education programme can continue and school children will spend a reduced time exposed to risk

14 MAQ February 2013 in the Gallery, after which they can carry on their There is no doubt that this upheaval is vexing for classes in safe buildings. These prefabs will also staff and stakeholders alike, but it has been handled house staff offices which would normally be in the extremely well in our case. Through lengthy Gallery, so that only a portion of their time will be and constructive dialogue with other Wanganui spent exposed to potential risk. District Council departments we have made good decisions. The quality of these outcomes has been Once the interim site is ready a long-term made apparent by the strength of support at the exhibition will be installed, the classroom made Council table. The coming years will certainly ready and a shop/front of house area put in place. be a trial for the Sarjeant but we have a strong, Attention will then return to the Gallery where the committed and capable team who are completely 6,000 or so collection items will be carefully and dedicated to the tasks ahead. methodically inventoried, packed and decanted to their temporary home. We expect this will Greg Anderson take between eighteen and twenty-four months. Director, Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua What is more, these solutions have only come Whanganui about through the Wanganui District Council’s enlightened early decision to adopt an earthquake * Buildings with special post-disaster functions are strengthening levy through its 10 Year plan. classed as Importance Level 4, while buildings that contain people in crowds or contents of high value to I should emphasise that these arrangements the community (such as the Sarjeant Gallery and its are temporary – fundraising and planning is collection) are classed as Importance Level 3. already underway to facilitate the larger Sarjeant redevelopment. Once complete this will see the Gallery seismically strengthened, the collection and operations restored and the new build constructed with an eye not only to excellence as an art museum, but also providing a location for the Council’s business continuity, should their building be disabled after a large event.

2013 February MAQ 15 Policy Matters! Responding to (climate) change

This is an abridged version of a paper presented on the What does this mean for museums now? How can the museum maintain last day of #Museumchallenges INTERCOM 2012 relevance in a context of 'climate change'? I don't mean physical climate conference in Sydney. change, but the shifting social, political and financial winds and currents in which we operate. We all understand that new approaches and ways of doing things are required to keep museums and In order to ensure their continuing relevance, I think museums need to practice galleries engaged and relevant in our changing 'strategic self-reflection'. This requires more than audience and stakeholder society. Most museums have now embraced such research: it requires a fundamental examination and understanding of the innovations as interactive exhibits and social media. museum’s origins, collections, allegiances, resources; and its current role in local, regional, national and global contexts. A museum can be both responsive The conference heard about some fantastic to the 'weather' and act as part of the 'weather system'. new programmes, such as working with young people in the Juvenile Justice system, with Pacific Museums have been having some 'interesting' times lately. Three major communities, outreach projects, and business- interrelated factors can be explored: focused activities. The challenge this creates for any museum organisation is how to keep adding Our local councils – who fund most of our museums and galleries – have been (and how to resource the additions), without doing their annual and long-term planning consultation, and making difficult subtracting something. What gets squeezed, or decisions in an effort to balance budgets. This has meant ever-increasing dropped altogether, to create the necessary capacity? pressure on museums, which many councillors see as ‘soft’ targets for budget cuts.

Strategic self-reflection Internal restructures – have been the result of efforts to meet the challenges of staying relevant and balancing ever-tighter budgets. My contention is that in order to make such decisions, every museum needs to ask two strategic ‘Churn’ in senior positions – has been higher than usual around the country, questions: with 16 regional museum/gallery directors moving on in the last 12 months. • what is the role of the museum in contemporary society? Looking at these issues from a different angle, drivers for change may be • and what is the role of my particular museum? reduced to three concepts: political, social and economic. And these drivers • And once those are understood, there is one can be seen as external or internal: imposed from outside or the consequence more question: of decisions and actions within the museum. • how do these roles change over time?

For not only does the role of ‘the museum’ change, but also the ways in which any particular museum changes and adapts to changing times.

Looking back through history, museums and similar cultural institutions have occupied varying positions relative to their social/historical contexts. For example, art/artists/patrons have acted in support of the status quo, or as protest and catalyst for change. Similarly, museums have been built as monuments to reinforce political power such as empire and colonisation, or as a forum or agent for education and social change, such as holocaust museums.

Parallel of art and life, by Michael Parr and Blaine Western, in situ outside Waikato Museum. Winner of the 2012 National Contemporary Art Award.

16 MAQ February 2013 example: Waikato Museum Of course these drivers don’t operate in isolation – typically several come into While the gallery had to shed some staff because play at once. Take the example of Waikato Museum, a medium-sized regional of the length of closure and council priorities, they multi-disciplinary museum, evolved from a sometimes uncomfortable liaison have used scholarships, secondments and other between the local historical society museum and art society, now council-owned. professional development opportunities to retain key people. In the 1990s and 2000s Waikato Museum & Art Gallery was mostly regarded as a respectable regional institution, not sticking its neck out, working with The long-range forecast local communities, quietly getting on with the business of being a museum and gallery. Christchurch Art Gallery has clearly decided that its new role post-earthquakes is to use its expertise Now, Waikato Museum is in the throes of a total restructure, in which over to ensure that the arts community in Christchurch 30 out of 40 staff roles are disestablished, and only 3 unaffected in some way. is supported and continues to survive and thrive as What lead to this situation, and could it have been avoided? the city rebuilds – which may be a very slow process. It also has to do any and all things possible to ensure Before looking at that question, I want to offer another metaphor. Recently its own survival as part of that arts community, I heard a lecture by Ross Gibson, Professor of Contemporary Arts at The which includes putting its own collections and University of Sydney*. Ross talked, among other things, about kayaking. He expertise out into the international arena. suggested that an understanding of 'Oceanic intelligence' might be conceived and used to understand our contemporary world, and that, like Pacific On the other hand, Waikato Museum's role is voyaging, kayaking involves a constant re-evaluation of one's position – in probably more constrained and more focussed relation to wind, tide, weather, other kayakers… on working with its local community. It needs to weather the current funding and restructuring I like what Professor Gibson called 'Oceanic intelligence' which, in the storm, and negotiate and demonstrate stronger kayaking metaphor, involves constant reading of the waves and tides, checking commitment to its council funders. of self and position. To this could be added the need to check the weather forecast – in the museum context, visitor data and evaluation – and if that One of Museums Aotearoa’s current projects is a data can't be found elsewhere, then the kayaker could collect it themselves comprehensive statistical exercise to gather better over time. data on the institutions in our sector, including governance, financials, collections, staffing and example: Christchurch Art Gallery visitation. Data collection is complete, and a final report will be produced early in 2013. This is This is a museum/gallery which is evolving constantly with the times. From intended as an ongoing project, updated annually traditional, parochial origins as the Robert McDougall Art Gallery, it to allow for much better trend analysis that we are underwent a new development in the early 2000s during a boom time for the able to achieve with current data. Alongside our arts in Christchurch, building on local patronage and council support for the National Visitor Survey and other sector research, arts as part of the tourism offering. these are tools which help to understand and predict the climate in which we operate. In the mid-2000s the winds of change blew, it gained a new director, who was less interested in tradition, and more into variety, exploring international Political, social, economic and other challenges influences – taking an aspirational approach, using the 'long range forecast'. inevitably face all museums and galleries. It By embracing wider opportunities, they began leading parochial Christchurch is essential to check your climate and forecast further afield, such as connecting with the Venice Biennale, and senior curator regularly – both short-term and long-range – in Justin Paton fronted a TV series. order to weather the inevitable storms and be well- positioned to take advantage of better conditions Then came the earthquakes, the first in September 2010, leading to temporary when they arise. closure. Christchurch Art Gallery reopened with a record-breaking Ron Mueck show, followed by the pertinent 'De-building'. A few days later Phillipa Tocker Christchurch suffered the second, much more disastrous, earthquake. Executive Director, Museums Aotearoa

Since then the gallery has remained closed … but not inactive. Immediately * The 2012 Gordon H Brown Lecture, delivered by after the earthquakes, gallery staff began to evolve new roles in support of their Professor Ross Gibson, ' Oceans in Mind, Art Histories local contemporary art scene. They have shifted artists studios and worked in Flux’, 15th November, 2012, hosted by Art History, with dealer galleries. They have initiated new projects such as 'outer spaces', are Victoria University of Wellington in partnership with working with COCA, and have stepped up their online activities. City Gallery Wellington.

2013 February MAQ 17 Art in Oceania – A New History

Art in Oceania - A New the previous almost singular focus on aesthetic History appreciation alone and encourage the reader to Contributing authors, consider the much fuller range of significances and Peter Brunt, Nicholas uses that Oceanic artworks have had in both the Thomas, Sean Mallon, past and present. In essence the editorial direction Lissant Bolton, Deidre of the book goes a long way to redress the failure Brown, Damian Skinner, of previous texts to consider the arts of Oceania Susanne Kuchler within their own unique historical contexts. The (Edited by Peter Brunt book also breaks free of the previously restrictive and Nicholas Thomas, concept of ‘art’ and adopts a looser and more assisted by Stella open approach that embraces diverse cultural Ramage). creations ranging from food presentation and Thames Hudson, body decoration to architecture. The book also London, 2012. captures the new energy provided by the ever 501 pp increasing Pacific Islander involvement in the $130 NZD various dialogues about Oceanic art and becomes ISBN 978-0-500-23901-8 a venue for many different voices to be heard. For many readers this book may provide their first basic understanding of the integral role art played in the lives of Oceanic communities for centuries. Undertaking this review proved to be one of the most pleasurable I have been This work also seeks to draw attention to the asked to do. The only real challenge I had to confront was to ensure that I intrinsic power of Oceanic art and reveal to the conveyed the reasons for my enthusiasm for this book with the same clarity that reader individual artworks that have not been seen the individual authors, without exception, deliver their specialist contributions. for generations.

For many readers their first encounter with this robust, over 500 page This book is obviously a ‘must have’ for all (275x235mm), lavishly illustrated (507 illustrations, 412 in colour) volume secondary and tertiary educational institutions, may involve an element of apprehension. Luckily the review copy arrived in museums and galleries with Oceanic collections, time for me to peruse at my leisure over the extended summer vacation. At private collectors, art historians, designers etc; but the end of three weeks of reading and deliberation I had no hesitation in will also appeal to a wider audience. This appeal declaring this book to be the most successful dissertation on Oceanic art I must surely be worldwide and I hope the publisher had ever read. Although it was not the author’s intention the book is almost has considered ‘other language’ editions. Even encyclopaedic. There is an Introduction, followed by 17 chapters grouped into if you only ever see the need to own one book six parts (Art in Early Oceania; New Guinea 1700-1940; Island Melanesia on Oceanic art this is the book you should buy. 1700-1940; Eastern and Northern Oceania 1700-1940; Art, War and the As a litmus test I asked my 16 year old grand- End of Empire 1940-89; Decolonisation, Independence and Cultural Revival daughter, not an avid reader but a budding artist, 1945-89; Art in Oceania Now 1989-2012). Embellishing each Part are two if she would like to have a look through a new clever editorial devices, Features and Voices.The former an individual narrative Oceanic art book. After a preliminary check that of an art object or class of object written by one of the authors and the latter there were lots of references to Samoan art, my an evocative quotation that succinctly relates to the subject matter. offer was accepted. The family reported that over the ensuing days the news of each new Oceanic I need to admit to having become somewhat disillusioned and increasingly art discovery was quickly disseminated to a close critical over the years by manifest shortcomings of many internationally network of friends and on return the book was acclaimed volumes dedicated to ‘Oceanic Art’. However Art in Oceania – declared to be ‘cool ’. A New History very quickly completely seduced me. To my great joy this collective of highly respected authors/curators also declared their frustration This book more than achieves the aims stated in and dissatisfaction with these very same shortcomings and systematically the Introduction by Nicholas Thomas. The authors and successfully set about introducing an almost fundamentally new way of are to be congratulated. I look forward to seeing thinking about art in Oceania. As expected the book design is beautiful and their messages filter through into other published while the text oozes quality scholarship, it steadfastly resists the temptation works and exhibition narratives to dwell in the theoretical realm and the editors never allow the language to become obscure or complicated. Roger Fyfe Senior Curator of Anthropology, So what is the core thesis of this new way of thinking about art in Oceania? Canterbury Museum While some of the individual authors narratives have appeared in previous publications,there is so much that is new it is impossible to adequately cover in the space limits of a book review. The authors convincingly engage and promote a new approach and clearly establish a new balance between

18 MAQ February 2013 Te Ara

Over the last few months Phillipa has been filling me in on some of the history of Museums Aotearoa. Something that has come up in recent months is the possible resurrection of a New Zealand museums journal. Looking back through old issues of Te Ara we came across an interesting piece explaining the origin of the tukutuku pattern that adorns Museums Aotearoa’s website and other material.

Museums Aotearoa was born in 1998 out of the Museum Association of Aotearoa New Zealand Te Ropu Hanga Kaupapa Maori (MAANZ) and the Museum Directors Federation (MDF). The turapa (tukutuku) pattern ‘Te Ara’ (the pathway) was gifted by Te Arawa through elders Kuru o te Marama Waaka and Huhana (Bubbles) Mihinui to MAANZ in 1993 at a conference to discuss a Code of Ethics. The pattern represents both the bow-waves and wake of a double-hulled waka and was intended to represent the journey of New Zealand museums in their quest to integrate two cultural views into a new context.

In the piece in Te Ara Journal Paul Tapsell expressed this very poetically: ‘Te Ara is the ancestral pathway into the future, where today’s museums now travel shoulder to shoulder with their tangata whenua; assisting local marae elders in performing their ancestral role of maintaining Maori cultural memories as represented by taonga. Te Ara symbolizes the pioneering pathway NZ museums are pushing through ahead of any nation in the world. We are the cutting edge…’

For me this visual representation of a journey and the idea of parallel hulls supporting and stabilizing each other on the journey is a useful way to imagine the role of MA facilitating different parts of the sector to support each other on our common path into the future.

Talei Langley Membership Services Manager, Museums Aotearoa

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2013 February MAQ 19 Building, Re-building & Re-developing A snap shot of Toitū Building Otago Settlers Museum The existing museum doubled in size with the construction of a new two story collections store Toitū Otago Settlers Museum opened its doors on 8th December 2012 with object processing facilities and a conservation after being closed for over two years for a complete up-grade of exhibitions, laboratory and a new entrance foyer. buildings, and visitor facilities. Within the first 5 weeks over 65,000 visitors flocked to the Museum many visiting again and again. This was way beyond Some of the challenges faced include, initial expectations and the re-developed Museum is rapidly proving to be a • Making the best use of a challenging site, great success amongst locals and tourists alike. sandwiched between SH 1 and the railway • Linking the new with the old in a This $37.4 million project took over four years to complete and was multi- sympathetic way faceted involving the complete rethink of the museum - its vision, scope, • Complementing the existing streetscape functionality, visitor experiences, facilities and future audiences. The project • Becoming more energy efficient was planned in 4 consecutive stages; the complete renovation and upgrade of the Museum’s existing heritage buildings; complete exhibition refurbishment, These challenges were overcome in a number of the new construction of a ‘state of the art’ collections store with conservation ways: room for expansion lay solely in-between laboratory and object processing spaces, and a new glass, steel and blue stone the existing Burnside building and railway track entrance foyer. and beyond this towards Dunedin’s fine Railway Station and alongside SH1. With a tight site, full Each of the four construction stages were tendered separately as were all use was made of the available land and vertical of the exhibition components which ensured fairness and resulted in keen space through a two storey wedge shaped building. pricing, providing best possible value for money. The site also provided an engineering challenge, located on land reclaimed in the 1870s and An early decision was made to contract an external company to undertake therefore susceptible to sinking and movement the exhibition design component of the project and additional staff were such as experienced in the Christchurch recruited to supplement the existing in-house team. earthquakes which caused cracking and fracture of underground pipework. Another key decision made early on in the project was to close the Museum during the construction phase of the project. This was a big ask, and queried In close proximity to the Museum are some of by many, but essential to the wellbeing of staff, visitors and the collections. Dunedin’s finest heritage buildings, including the Although primarily closed, the Museum continued its programme of special railway station, law courts and prison, and it was events and activities and also educational programmes which took place in essential that these be considered in the design conjunction with other city-wide facilities, including Dunedin’s Chinese of the new reception foyer. Although modern in Garden and Dunedin Botanic Garden. design the construction materials reflected those of the surrounding buildings including local blue stone and Oamaru limestone. The neighbourhood is also reflected in the vast quantities of glass which from the inside frame this heritage.

The collections store, located behind the Burnside building, was designed to be hidden from what has been coined the ‘heritage precinct.’ It is visible from the rear only and its functional appearance blends in with its semi-industrial surroundings.

Solar and state of the art LED lighting have been incorporated within the old and new buildings. The new HVAC plant incorporates efficient energy risers and the future capability to convert to pellet fuel linking into the City’s proposed new energy efficient power source.

Smith Gallery – Graham Warman

20 MAQ February 2013 Re-building

The Museum’s two existing buildings date from the early 1900s Edwardian and 1930s Art Deco. Both required an extensive upgrade to meet current building standards and museum display requirements.

This presented a range of challenges in: • Retaining the unique character of the heritage buildings • Sympathetically bring these buildings up to the current building code compliance • Providing appropriate environments for the display of collections • Increasing accessibility for visitors 20C Object Wall - Graham Warman

To this end many previously ‘lost’ or hidden It is not often you have the opportunity to re-think the whole museum in one features were uncovered during the refurbishment hit and this was certainly an exciting opportunity to do so. The knowledgeable and incorporated into the redevelopment plans. in-house team was supplemented with a project team drawn from around These include plaster ceilings, sky lights and the the world. The collections team was expanded to cope with the additional original glass ceilings in two of the exhibition demand and once the conservation laboratory was completed a team of galleries. New electrics, alarms, monitoring conservators plugged away at the enormous task of cleaning and conserving equipment and sprinkler systems are unobtrusive collections for display and storage. and disappear from view due to lighting effects. A fresh and cohesive approach was taken in the development of new displays A great deal of thought was given to the museum and the interpretation of the collections. The new emphasis is on people, environment within these spaces. Light modelling especially those who shaped the City and give it its unique character. Personal was undertaken in various new display areas, accounts and stories are interwoven with objects, authentic experiences, blinds fitted to sky lights and UV reduced through imagery and digital interpretation. appropriately filtered glass. Cases were also fitted with adjustable individual light packs so The final funding of $1.25m for exhibitions was not confirmed until 9 months the amount of lux can be altered according to the before the end of the project, at which point detailed design drawings were material displayed. produced, registrations of interest called for, tenders awarded and exhibitions constructed; with some areas completed just weeks before opening. The final Visitor accessibility is greatly enhanced through 4th stage of the project, the new entrance and reception building was handed the use of ramps at both the new entrance and over for fit-out only 5 days before opening and the café shop and reception between the two heritage buildings where the desk were constructed within this tight timeframe. floor drops in level. These ramps also add to the drama of the space. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to create something special, meeting world class standards of design, interpretation and collections care. The result Re-developing is a new and dynamic Museum experience focusing on the City of Dunedin, its people and its context within Otago, New Zealand. With a project of this size and scope challenges were in abundance however from my perspective Project Summary: the key ones were: • Total budget: $ 37.4m • The tight timeframe • Total Construction cost: $31.4m • Need to build the team and skill sets • Total Exhibition Fixtures & Fittings costs: $6m • Volume of work required on the collections for • Exhibition Designers: Workshop e both display and storage • Architects: Robert Tongue/Baker Garden • Phasing of the project and lack of surety of • Project Managers: Octa Associates ltd. funding from stage to stage. • Construction: Lunds South Ltd.

Linda Wigley Director, Toitu Otago Settlers Museum

2013 February MAQ 21 National Library of New Zealand Safe storage for precious collections

After three years of being closed to the public, the The background to the project was that the National Library building was no National Library building in Wellington is once longer deemed fit for purpose and it was running out of storage space. It was again open. An extensive redevelopment of the designed in the 1970s, built in the 1980s and urgently needed redeveloping building has resulted in better and more storage to protect the future safety of its heritage collection. The scope of the space, increased facilities for the public and most redevelopment included fixing leaks to the Library’s roof and ground floor importantly, a building that can now be relied plaza and replacing plant and machinery. The building services were almost upon to keep the weather out. entirely replaced so the building now operates using up to date systems and current technologies. Research space has been optimised and there is enough For the custodians of the many treasures housed room to store the growing collections for up to twenty more years. within the National Library in Wellington, this redevelopment was never about a construction The building contains mainly collection storage in the basement while the project, it was always about meticulous lower ground floor has two main collection areas along with the preservation stewardship. All facets of Mainzeal’s work were and conservation laboratories. Seminar rooms and the auditorium, which are therefore focused on supporting that stewardship currently closed for refurbishment, are on this floor also. The ground floor and ensuring the safety of the collections. includes the main hall, net.work (a commons’ space), plus an interactive and exhibition area. A public cafe is adjacent to the foyer. Level one has a reading room and is linked to the ground floor with a new internal stair and public lift. Level two includes two large collection storage areas and staff work areas are spread through levels one, two and three.

In February 2011 the National Library of New Zealand and Archives New Zealand were integrated into the Department of Internal Affairs. Rationalisation around how the two organisations might work together resulted in some changes to the scope of the National Library redevelopment project, including a review of the public area which has included making provision for display of the Treaty of Waitangi and other documents of nationhood. Despite the complexity of the project and the additional work required outside the original scope, the programme only increased by two months.

Much of the Library’s collections remained on site, a decision made following assessment of safety and security concerns, move logistics, time and costs associated with moving the collections off-site. These irreplaceable collections were kept in basement storage areas, where they were maintained in their current state. A temporary storage space was also created on the ground floor to house over 35,000 boxes of collections, artworks and plan cabinets. These collections were kept largely separate from building works. Maintaining the integrity of the collections was everyone’s first priority.

One of the biggest challenges was the extent of sequencing necessary to work around the existing collections. The order of the sequencing was dictated by the needs of the collections, which was sometimes at odds with what would be optimum for a normal construction sequence. As each new area was finished off, the collection was relocated to its permanent location, which then opened up a new work area for Mainzeal. Before stripping any area clear for the redevelopment, every length of existing wiring was traced back to source to ensure no critical services were affected.

On 27 November there was a reopening of the iconic National Library building in Wellington to the public. To show off their ‘new’ building and the services on offer, the Library is encouraging those interested to book a tour. To request a tour to see what’s new, learn the basics of research, or spend time with a specialist go to: http://www.natlib.govt.nz/about-us/visiting-us/tours

22 MAQ February 2013 Museum Profile Cotter Medical History Trust To collect, preserve and display artefacts of a medical nature We have recently assisted the Isaac Wildlife Trust whose heritage village just north of Christchurch Airport now boasts both a dental Clinic (moved from St Albans Primary School) and a 1930s’ doctor’s surgery with equipment on loan from us.

Our primary public interface is via some 40 annotated display cabinets in the public areas of hospitals and other health related enterprises. We Maori cigarettes Dr Douglas’ Maori Cigarettes for chest complaints including asthma – Ingredients: frequently address Probus, U3A and similar groups. hemlock, cannibis, datura, belladonna, lobelia and arsenic! Also we supply material for the formal displays associated with anniversaries and jubilees of health The Cotter Medical History Trust takes its name from Christchurch surgeon, Pat related organisations. Cotter, who was asked to chair an ‘Items of Historic Significance Committee’, by the then Medical Superintendent of the North Canterbury Hospital Our staff entirely of regular volunteers put in an Board, when it was becoming apparent that short term appointments of senior around 150 hours per week overall. managerial staff would not be conducive to fostering the institutional memory. Max Abernathy Pat spent the next several years avidly collecting material from his many Secretary / Treasurer, Cotter Medical History Trust colleagues in both public and private practice, storing it in his garage. When overflow threatened, Pat persuaded the Board to grant temporary space to house the burgeoning collection of artefacts and documents, and also for an officecum workroom. Additionally he was granted some space at the Hillmorton (previously Sunnyside) Hospital site for larger items and our library.

The 4 November 2010 earthquake saw the closing of the office as the building was unsafe and marked for demolition. We and the Board shifted our files, photographs, small objects and office out to Hillmorton, where we now operate. In July last year we sadly lost Pat Cotter, but the regular volunteer force of 14 individuals unanimously determined to keep the museum afloat as a mark of the respect and esteem we held for Pat.

Our collection covers not just medical artefacts but encompasses the broader range of health provision in Canterbury - albeit with elastic borders. We have a huge collection of instruments. Bramwell Cook has lately produced a book ‘Silent Treasures Tell Their Stories’. This details the origins of several old instruments, citing both inventors and their accounts of instrument Scarificator Hilliard opposing action scarificator (1850) for usage in medical journals of the time. We are purchasing the Stephen Clark phlebotomy (blood letting). A similar device wa s advertised up to Microscope Collection – possibly the largest in the Southern hemisphere, 1972 for inoculation. at 150 instruments, dating from 1750. Their primary display, set up by Max Abernethy, is in the foyer of the Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Rachel Milner is responsible for modern documentation and has some 15 sets of scrapbooks with material from all available news sources. She also leads the nursing team. Alice Silverson, Cath Smith and Maurice Sinclair look after photographs and artworks, identifying the subjects as fully as possible. Claire le Couteur curates our pharmacy objects, while Heartherbelle Grimson, Lianne Ferguson and Dick Rawstron identify instruments from our many old and new cataloguers. Pat Cotter’s collection of notes on over 1000 of Canterbury’s Doctors is now maintained by Devon Sinclair.

2013 February MAQ 23 My Favourite Thing

Toitū Otago Settlers Museum has many very fine Mary would have travelled by coach and on horseback to her new home with and early European settler collections and one of Jane and the Rev. William Bannerman at their manse in Puerua. my passions being textiles in all shapes and forms, I have chosen something from the costume collection. Three years later Mary married a fellow worker at the manse, Andrew Flemming, but after five months was widowed when Andrew died in an One stunning costume, currently on display in the accident. By this time Mary was with child and living in a small house on a new Museum, is Mary Meiklejohn's dress which 50 acre farm. It seems that the Bannerman family supported Mary through dates from around 1863. this tough period

Mary’s day dress is a good example of the full Mary later remarried a local saw miller George Souness and had a further 5 crinolines of the early 1860s, fashioned from a children. Mary died in 1937 at the grand age of 90 at Purekireki, South Otago. beautiful bright blue silk. It has lightly beaded decoration along the sleeves and displays both Linda Wigley hand and machine stitching. A special feature Director, Toitu Otago Settlers Museum of the dress is the drawstring hem, operated by pulling cords hidden inside the hip pockets that raise the skirt rather like a roman blind. Dunedin had a reputation for its muddy streets and was colloquially called ‘Mudedin’. A situation supported by the section of a manuka causeway or raised path, recently excavated and now in the Museum collection, that dates from the early – mid 1850s.

Mary’s dress is also a good example of the bright colours, especially blue, that became fashionable following the invention of synthetic aniline dyes in the 1850s.

What is also special about this dress is that we have information on the wearer including photographs of Mary in later life.

Mary Meiklejohn was born in Fifeshire, Scotland in 1847 and arrived in Otago in 1863.

Mary was one of many young single women given assisted passage by the Provincial Government in the 1860s, one of 90 young single women travelling with 300 other passengers aboard the ship Arima.

The Arima was a brand new ship but unfortunately on the voyage its water distillation plant broke down so an unscheduled stop was made at Capetown to replenish water stocks. The usual 70 – 80 day crossing from Glasgow to Otago was therefore extended by 20 days but the passengers, including Mary Meiklejohn, signed a testimonial of appreciation for the captain which was presented to him at a dinner in Dunedin.

On arrival in Dunedin, Mary was housed in the Provincial Government’s Immigration Barracks where she met with prospective employers. Mary Meiklejohn Dress – Clive Copeman was chosen by Clementina Burns, wife of the Rev. Burns, Otago’s founding Presbyterian minister, to be a maid for her daughter, Jane who lived in Puerua, South Otago.

24 MAQ February 2013