The Timaru Herald 25 Jun 2020 Joanne Holden
Roselyn Fauth is frustrated that work on the Aigantighe Art Gallery appears to be ‘‘in holding pattern’’.
Art lovers frustrated that work to reopen the Aigantighe Art Gallery’s historic house gallery has stalled crowded the public gallery at a Timaru District Council meeting on Tuesday with emotions running high.
During her submission at an annual plan meeting, Friends of the Aigantighe vice president Roselyn Fauth asked for all those there to support the art gallery to stand.
Close to everyone in the packed public gallery got to their feet.
They continued to stand throughout Fauth’s submission, as she shed tears over her fond memories of the art gallery – her earliest being at age 4 when her father had his first exhibition there.
‘‘I remember the pride he had. I even had the privilege of having my own paintings on those walls,’’ she said. ‘‘It’s everyone’s story that they love the Aigantighe and we are very, very passionate.’’
Fauth said people wanted to know what the next step was for the gallery.
‘‘It’s frustrating because we feel we’re in a holding pattern.
‘‘We need clearer decisions from the council, but we want to be part of those decisions. There is $600,000 set aside for this in the budget but the community is confused about how that money will be spent,’’ Fauth said.
Of the 79 submissions council’s draft annual plan received, 16 related to the art gallery.
The 112-year-old building, which harbours the historic house gallery, was closed in March 2017 after a report to council assessed it as ‘‘very high seismic risk’’ at only 10 per cent of the new building code. An extension built in 1978 continues to hold rotating exhibitions.
But the gallery’s upwards of $10 million art collection, which Cr Allan Booth said was the fourth most valuable in the country, remained locked away.
The building had since undergone a seismic assessment, geotechnical investigations of the ground, heritage assessment, fire report, and condition assessment of the roof.
Mayor Nigel Bowen said the revelations to come out of the investigation had been ‘‘quite scary’’, as repairing the gallery would be a far more complex process than simply earthquake-strengthening the building.
The Marseilles clay roof, for instance, needed to be replaced and there were issues with storage space.
Fauth told Bowen ‘‘we need to be brave’’.
South Canterbury Art Society president Sue Connolly also spoke to her submission about the art gallery, saying the works there ‘‘have become like old friends’’ to many in the community.
‘‘We all have a piece of art that makes our heart sing. The Aigantighe provides a place of solace and joy. It’s truly a thing of beauty,’’ Connolly said.
‘‘We are seriously worried the gallery won’t be in the Long-Term Plan and if that’s the case, it will languish for another three years.’’
Friends of the Aigantighe member Cate Laurenson said at the meeting she was ‘‘horrified’’ movement to reopen the space had been so slow’’.
‘‘There is no commitment to doing anything. It’s sitting there. It’s waiting for us. Let’s do something.
‘‘That gallery was gifted to us, and we have an obligation to look after it.’’
Laurenson suggested adding a cafe´ and knocking down the extension to build a new one which addressed the storage issues.
Fauth said after the meeting she was ‘‘proud’’ that so many people turned out to support the gallery.
‘‘In any kind of community, particularly in times of crisis, we turn to the arts for our health and wellbeing.’’
She and other art lovers decided to speak at the meeting because they understood some councillors wanted to demolish the building, and they would not get another chance to put forward their case until discussions about the council’s Long-Term Plan kicked off in a few months.
The house gallery was gifted to the people of Timaru to be used as an art gallery in 1955, with an art collection donated by the Grant family.