An investigation into a possible new Invercargill art gallery has raised concerns about funding and a lack of Māori engagement.
This week, city councillors discussed a recent feasibility study that assessed whether there was a case for a new or enhanced gallery in the city.
Andrea de Vries said she was “appalled” by the report because it referenced the need to partner with Māori, iwi and mana whenua — and uplift Māori artists — more than 40 times without representing the voice of Māori once.
Omissions included Waihōpai Rūnaka, Ngāi Tahu ki Murihiku and Mīharo Murihiku, she said.
De Vries said the council was potentially looking at a significant investment in the space, without having the voices of those who would be asked to contribute to the facility.
“We don’t understand what their aspirations are, what their perspectives are, and the challenges that they would experience if we were going to be moving forward with any of the proposed options.
“And I just think that that’s a real typical case of doing something to Māori not with Māori.”
De Vries was backed by others, including councillor Lisa Tou McNaughton who said it was important to have the voice of mana whenua and Ngāi Tahu at the table from the start.
Councillor Trish Boyle had been part of a working group that tested the appetite for a new gallery, and noted Mīharo Murihiku and Arts Murihiku were part of the original discussions.
Other hot topics at the meeting included the cost to the council of a gallery and where it could go.
The city’s new $87 million Te Unua Museum of Southland is set to open in 2027, and Mayor Tom Campbell proposed that part of it be used to host art.
Campbell said the council needed to be realistic about how much it could afford to spend on a new art gallery, which he thought was “nothing”.
Councillor Darren Ludlow said it was his experience that there was tension between art and museum groups, but Councillor Marcus Lush welcomed that.
Councillor Grant Dermody expressed concern over missing numbers in the report and the lack of a capital estimation.
Invercargill’s transitional art gallery, He Waka Tuia, was also discussed at the committee meeting, with councillors endorsing the renewal of a contract with Invercargill Public Art Gallery through to 2031.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
