SUPPORTING THE DOWSE FOR OVER 40 YEARS ISSUE 44 / MAY 2014 IN THIS ISSUE INTERVIEW: RICHARD ORJIS In association with the exhibition Slip Cast, multimedia artist and educator Richard Orjis shares some insights about his work. WHAT’S ON AT THE DOWSE All the information you need about the exhibitions and events taking place at The Dowse in the coming months. 4 A THOROUGHLY MODERN COUPLE: ROY COWAN AND JULIET PETER Senior Curator Emma Bugden discusses the remarkable lives of Roy Cowan and Juliet Peter. 5 SHAPESHIFTER 2014 We look back on Banks Shoes Shapeshifter, an exhibition of contemporary art held in the Lower Hutt Civic Gardens as part of the 2014 New Zealand International Arts Festival. 7 PLUS ALL THE LATEST INFO ABOUT UPCOMING FRIENDS EVENTS ISSUE 44 / MAY 2014 ON THE COVER FRIENDS COMMITTEE 2014 Richard Orjis, Golden Daze, 2014. President SPECIALOFFERS Image courtesy of the artist and Bruce Sedcole P 569 8680 Melanie Roger Gallery. Vice president ARCHIBALD ART SUPPLIES, Heather Crichton P 021 937 750 95 MAIN STREET, UPPER HUTT 10% discount – except easels, pottery, IN THIS ISSUE Treasurer magazines or commissioned work from an Pg 2 Jonathan Tomkins Greetings from Courtney exhibition General committee CACI LOWER HUTT, Pg 3 Colin Kelly, Ann Montague 119 QUEENS DRIVE, LOWER HUTT Greetings from Bruce Patron 15% off – excludes Appearance Medicine and Profile: Katrina Smit Gillian Deane current promotions Pg 4 The Dowse Art Museum Friends liaison GORDON HARRIS – THE ART & GRAPHIC STORE, What’s on at The Dowse Katrina Smit 170 VICTORIA STREET, WELLINGTON 10% Discount – except books and magazines Pg5 FRIENDS NEWSLETTER Open 7 days with parking – Wheelchair friendly A Thoroughly Modern Couple: www.gordonharris.co.nz Roy Cowan & Juliet Peter Editor Kimberley Stephenson Designer Nicky Dyer HORIZON PAPER PLUS, Senior Curator Emma Bugden discusses the 228 HIGH STREET, LOWER HUTT remarkable lives of Roy Cowan and Juliet Peter. 10% off books, stationery and greeting cards KEEP UP-TO-DATE WITH NEWS Pg 6 LA BELLA ITALIA, 10 NEVIS STREET, PETONE Interview: Richard Orjis Please take a moment to send us your email or change of postal address so we can keep in 10% discount on divella products In association with the exhibition Slip Cast, touch: [email protected] LIGHTHOUSE CINEMA, BEACH STREET, PETONE multimedia artist and educator Richard Orjis Free coffee when purchasing a movie ticket shares some insights about his work. MEETINGS MINE: THE DOWSE SHOP Pg 7 The Friends committee normally meets 10% discount to Friends Shapeshifter 2014 on the first Thursday of the month, REKA CAFÉ, 45 LAINGS ROAD, THE DOWSE ART We look back on Banks Shoes Shapeshifter, 6pm at The Dowse Art Museum. MUSEUM, LOWER HUTT an exhibition of contemporary art held in the 10% discount on food and drink until 5pm Lower Hutt Civic Gardens as part of the 2014 RONA (GALLERY AND BOOKS), New Zealand International Arts Festival. Find us online 151 MURITAI ROAD, EASTBOURNE Find the latest events and Friends news at Profile: Emma Ng 10% discount on art books and art supplies www.dowse.org.nz/friends Pg 8 VICTORIANA FLORIST, QUEENSGATE SHOPPING Upcoming Friends Events MALL & 496 FERGUSSON DRIVE, UPPER HUTT 10% discount on all flowers and loyalty card membership Join Us! WITH WARM THANKS TO OUR BUSINESSES For information about how to join the Friends of These discounts are exclusive to Friends The Dowse visit www.dowse.org.nz/friends members. Friends must show email [email protected] membership card to receive discounts. or phone 021 937 750 Greetings from Courtney Tēnā koutou, and welcome to this It has already been an eventful year in staff and great networks to the team. We are also issue of the Friends of The Dowse movements. This issue is the first for our new excited to welcome our Creative New Zealand newsletter. Communications & Relationships Manager, / Blumhardt Foundation curatorial intern for Katrina Smit. Katrina joined us from Te Puni 2014, Bridget Reweti. Recently I was invited to the Govett-Brewster Kokiri; previous to this, she has worked in Art Gallery to speak at their Friends event on Finally, after ten dedicated and humour- communications at Creative New Zealand The Dowse’s community outreach. It was a filled years with The Dowse, Collections and and the Ministry for Culture and Heritage. wonderful opportunity to reflect on my first Touring Manager Bev Eng is taking a year’s Katrina will be The Dowse’s representative 18 months here, and think about what we sabbatical. Her position will be filled by our on The Friends committee, cooking up ways are working towards. It was also a chance Registrar, Jo Wehrly, recently returned from to entice new members and keep current to talk about the dual role The Dowse has in maternity leave, and in turn Georgia Morgan, members connected and excited. Lower Hutt - to be an accessible home for the who covered for Jo, will stay for another best of art and craft for local residents, while This month we farewell Emma Bugden, who year. Phew! also drawing attention and visitors to the leaves us for eight months on maternity Fortunately, as you can see throughout this city. This is certainly the context in which we leave. In turn we welcome Brian Wood, newsletter, we’re meeting all this change present exhibitions like June’s Wunderrūma, covering while Emma is on leave as Curator with lots of energy and fresh ideas. We look a cutting-edge exhibition of New Zealand of Exhibitions and Events. With a background forward to sharing more with you! jewellery we toured to Munich at the start of in ceramics and recent experience with New Zealand art and craft in auction house the year and are now showing on its return to HEI KONĀ MAI, these shores. Webbs, Brian brings deep subject knowledge COURTNEY JOHNSTON, DIRECTOR 2 ISSUE 44 / MAY 2014 Greetings from Bruce Dear Friends, greetings to all and a that The Dowse plays in enriching and We are still on the lookout for new special warm welcome to the new invigorating our local community, and it was committee members too, so contact us if members of The Friends who have great for The Friends committee volunteers you are keen to be involved in what is an joined us recently. to again be part of such a successful and enjoyable and satisfying role contributing well run event. to the support of The Dowse. Winter is now well and truly upon us, but This will be my last letter to you as President Please do come along to the AGM if you we are left with many enjoyable memories of The Friends as I will be standing down can, we’d like to share this evening with of events held at The Dowse in the last at our AGM on 3 June. After seven years you, and the meeting will conclude with a months of summer and autumn. Courtney on the committee, three as President, it is Collection Tour hosted by Bev Eng - a rare Johnston’s firstShapeshifter exhibition was time for a new face to take over, and our opportunity to see behind the scenes at a resounding success. I know many of you current Vice President Heather Crichton The Dowse. For information about other visited and enjoyed the superb pieces on has agreed to be nominated at the AGM as events planned for this year, please see show - I made it a number of times and President. I would like to thank both The page 8. I am looking forward to attending each time it was a great place to escape Dowse staff and The Friends committee these and other special events as a Friends from the “real world”, behind the walls for their wonderful ideas, hard work and member (although I have been co-opted and into the transformed setting of the encouragement over the years, their efforts to host more Friends Architecture Tours!). civic gardens to spend time enjoying the have been a great support for me in my role Finally, to you the members of The Friends, works exhibited. It is always the highlight as President and are sincerely appreciated. thank you for all your generous support... of the year for me when the Festival of and I’ll see you at The Dowse. the Arts and Shapeshifter come to town, and Courtney can be proud of the calibre WITH BEST WISHES BRUCE SEDCOLE, PRESIDENT of work she assembled for this year’s exhibition, and satisfied that she has maintained the exemplary standard that we have come to expect from this event. Hot on the heels of Shapeshifter was the annual Big Day Dowse festival, cementing itself as one of the must-do events on the summer calendar. The crowd of more than 8,000 enjoyed a beautiful sunny day, a wide variety of entertainment and activities, and an excellent line-up of musical acts culminating in a stunning set delivered by Trinity Roots. This year the festival, organised by Sian van Dyk, extended beyond the new award-winning Dowse Square and into a closed-off Laings Road where a multitude of food stalls kept the crowd replete and happy. The Big Day Dowse again reinforced the vital role ABOVE: Big Day Dowse, 2014. PROFILE COMMUNICATIONS & RELATIONSHIPS MANAGER, KATRINA SMIT The Dowse Art Museum has a unique place in New Zealand and it’s not just because of the collection and the programmes. The vision that created The Dowse - the commitment and aspirations of a community that recognised the value of having a distinctive, innovative art museum at its heart - is what makes The Dowse like no other.