Campus gallery making connections in art world | Northland News | Local News in Northland

The doors are opening on a new gallery which will foster closer ties between Whangarei's tertiary and community arts faculties.

The new Geoff Wilson Gallery in the upgraded arts centre at NorthTec's Raumanga campus will be officially opened later today. It replaces the former gallery of the same name which was in a different location on the Raumanga campus.

The new centrepiece gallery has distinctive black glass walls at either end and offers 200sq m of floor space. With high ceilings and multiple exhibition spaces, it is suitable for showing small and intimate to larger scale works, Geoff Wilson Gallery curator Vaughan Gunson said. The intended spotlight on local artists begins with Decade 2000-2010, the gallery's inaugural exhibition of works of 10 graduates from NorthTec's Visual Arts programme.

The diverse exhibition will feature work across a number of different mediums, including blown glass, painting, photography, large clay ceramics and installation works. Esther Tattersall has been given the honour of being able to draw directly onto the gallery's window space. The other artists exhibiting are Amorangi Hikuroa, Wilson O'Halloran, Trish Clarke, Tane Matiu (with Trent Morgan), Steve Biggins, Heather Hunt, Megan Corbett, Evan Heasman and Megan Bowers.

The purpose-built space in the former trades buildings is expected to boost NorthTec's growing reputation as one of the country's top tertiary level art schools. Over the next few years NorthTec hoped to attract students from all over New Zealand to its arts courses, Mr Gunson said.

"NorthTec has really invested in its arts faculty. The facilities are great. We've got a good arts curriculum and now we've got a gallery that's one of the better ones in Whangarei," he said.

"It's purpose-built, people will be able to show their work effectively here, and it's accessible to all artists in the community."

Primarily for NorthTec students and tutors to exhibit in, the gallery's programme would extend to Northland's best artists. "As well as quality art, we want to be able to put together shows that talk about issues that relate to living in the 21st century," Mr Gunson said.

Decade 2000-2011 will run from tomorrow until November 26, 10am to 4pm Tuesday to Friday and 10am to 2pm Saturday.