From the collection Arts

Auckland and immigrant to , Glenn arrived at the , age of 12 years, and attended Mount Roskill establishing a Grammar School for three years before leaving to reputation for carefully begin his career in logistics with Tasman Empire considered, meditative Airways Limited (TEAL). Between 1969 and 1975 he paintings of drapery established McGregor Swire Air Services (MSAS), a and other objects, and highly successful pioneer in the field of full-service was included in many freight forwarding, for the Ocean and Swire curated exhibitions in groups. Then in 1978 he formed Direct Container public art museums. Line (DCL) which became the United States’ Returning to second-largest importer of goods. Three years later, Australia in 2003, she he set up NACA Logistics, now one of the world’s broadened her focus largest freight-forwarding conglomerations, and in on still life or “object 1989 he was honoured as a United States painting” to include Entrepreneur of the Year. portraiture, winning Now he is the Chair of OTS Logistics Group, an the prestigious Portia integrated global transport conglomerate, and Geach Memorial lives in Europe but still regards himself as a New Award in 2005, Zealander. In 2005, he donated $7.5 million to the Australia’s most new Business School to be built at The University of prestigious award for . This was a landmark philanthropic female artists. The donation in New Zealand education in recognition The daughter of a realist painter, Jude Rae was same year a series of her small “interiors”, of which The named the enrolled in art classes at the Julian Ashton Art portraits of friends with their eyes closed, were Owen G.Glenn Building. Jude Rae has School in Sydney at the age of 11 years. included in an exhibition at the National Portrait amalgamated separate studies of this building, Despite the school being located in The Rocks, Gallery of Australia in Canberra. The same designed by Australian Richard Francis-Jones of the near the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Julian institution also commissioned her to paint the Sydney practice FJMT, with a portrait of Owen Ashton approach to art education is traditional, distinguished scientist Frank Fenner which was her Glenn made from life studies made over four with strong emphasis on drawing skills. Introduced first commissioned portrait of a male subject. sittings in the saloon of his yacht. to the work of the Old Masters there, Jude Rae She won the Portia Geach prize for a second Owen Glenn was made an Officer of the New went on to study for a degree in Art History at time in 2008 with Self Portrait 2008 (The Year My Zealand Order of Merit in the New Year Honours Sydney University which she completed in 1981. Husband Left), a full-length image of herself in List for 2008. Controversy followed soon after, with Soon after, she returned to painting, working in a which she stands alone in her studio, holding her speculation about political appointments style influenced by the artists of the Northern paintbrushes, with her dog Tilly at her feet. The proceeding from his donations to the Labour Party. European Renaissance and seventeenth century artist limits herself to one commissioned portrait a In September of that year, Owen Glenn returned to French still life painting, as well as by the French year, and has remarked: “Portraiture is both New Zealand to give evidence to Parliament’s philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s ideas about fascinating and daunting precisely because it lies Privileges Committee against the New Zealand the phenomenology of perception. at the juncture of the subjective and objective First Party in relation to undeclared donations to After receiving the Australia Council Residency impulses in my practice. When a person sits for a the party’s leader, . in Paris and working in London in 1989 she came portrait, the painter sees them as both subject and to New Zealand, founding the arts organisation, object. Negotiating a resolution to this duality is Linda Tyler South Island Art Projects (which became The very complicated and subtle.” Physics Room) in Christchurch, and completing an Jude Rae was recommended to the Business MA in painting at the University of Canterbury in School to paint a commemorative portrait of Jude Rae, Portrait of Owen Glenn, 2009, Oil on canvas 1992. She exhibited her work in dealer galleries in businessman and benefactor Owen Glenn. An 2400x1800 mm, University of Auckland Art Collection. CCE prepares for 25th opera tour In October this year the Centre’s 25th tour will libretti for study purposes. On these tours, unlike depart, for the 20th time to Sydney. There has also many tours, members have a common interest, been one tour to Melbourne (during Sydney’s and that makes for coherence and interchange. Olympic year) and four to Europe. Generally we have enjoyed what is now a rare During the past 20 years opera lovers from experience in the world, opera presented by a around the country have been heading overseas to company, largely cast from its members, and so enjoy lectures, performances, and the opportunity having human and dramatic qualities as well to spend time with others who share their interest as musical.” and passion. Leading the tours since the very Lynn Lander, Acting Director of CCE, says, Image courtesy of Opera Australia beginning has been Emeritus Professor Nicholas “Community education, in its many forms, is Tarling, at the time Dean of the Faculty of Arts and central to what CCE does. The opera tours are an The great majority of international short courses Chairman of the Deans Committee. excellent and enduring example of such education. designed and delivered by the Centre for It was at first, according to Nicholas, rather The fact that a great many of the participants Continuing Education (CCE) are for groups of experimental. “We tried various things over the return year after year is testament to the format, students, academics or business people coming first few years. However the core was and has personnel, and content on offer.” from overseas and studying at The University of remained the talks in the morning and the For information on this year’s tour to Sydney, Auckland. The exception is the opera tours the performances in the evening. The talks got more contact the Centre for Continuing Education on Centre has been running since 1990. substantial over time, and we took to supplying 0800 864 266, or email [email protected]

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