By Rosemary Baird

A collaboration between the New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata and Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga will give Christchurch audiences a rare opportunity to see a special collection of portraits by leading New Zealand artists.

Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House will host Tribute: Portraits from the Collection of Avenal McKinnon, which showcases 23 paintings from Avenal McKinnon’s (Director of the New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata) painting collection. The artists include Gopas, Rita Angus, Frances Hodgkins, Leo Bensemann, Wayne Youle and Seraphine Pick.  

Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House Property Lead, Helen Osborne, is thrilled to welcome the exhibition. “Kate was an artist herself, studying at Canterbury College Art School,” she says. “This is a really special chance for us to celebrate the work of Avenal, a lifelong collector, who was passionate about making portraiture accessible to all.”

The exhibition also has a local flavour. More than half the works are by artists with Canterbury or South Island connections. The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of public programmes, including a curator’s talk, art and historical talks, and a life drawing workshop. 

Tribute: Portraits from the Collection of Avenal McKinnon

Dates: Thursday 27 April to Sunday 25 June 2023
Cost: free entry 10am-4pm, Wednesday to Sunday
Where: Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House, 83 Clyde Road, Ilam, Christchurch 

For further information on the New Zealand Portrait Gallery see their official website.