Infinitely Varied: Prize-winning New Zealand landscape paintings from the Kelliher Art Competition 1956-1977

7 December 2018 - 10 February 2019

Free entry

Sir Henry Kelliher (b. 1896, d. 1991), the founder and managing director of Dominion Breweries, established the Kelliher Art Competition in 1956, and it was held most years until 1977. Kelliher was not interested in modern art as such; his focus was more about encouraging artists “to record the beauty of the country for posterity”. This was a time when there were very few dealer galleries, landscape photography was predominantly monochromatic and colour television was yet to arrive in Aotearoa. Now we view these award winners from revered artists such as Peter McIntyre and David Barker as fine examples of our landscape painting tradition. They also present a utopian New Zealand where waterways were pristine and the ravages of intensified human occupation not quite so visible. Our clean green image, the one that we project, the one that was, and the reality now here, is a conversation facilitated by this wonderful collection.

Education programmes are available for this exhibition.

Related events:

Infinitely Varied Floor Talk, 15 December, 1pm-2pm, free event

Image: The Manuherikia, Central Otago 1960, Peter McIntyre. Reproduced courtesy of Simon McIntyre