— JOHN WILSON ART GALLERY
In early 2018, Holy Trinity Cathedral lost a long-standing and well-loved member of its community. John Wilson
was a faithful supporter of the Cathedral and, over many years of dedicated service, a prolific contributor to the
vision, construction and preservation of the Cathedral Precinct we enjoy today.
A memorial service for John was held in the Cathedral on 4 March 2018 at which The Most Reverend Richard
Randerson gave a moving homily. He described John as ‘not just a man who advanced the architecture of Holy
Trinity Cathedral, but a man of compassion, wisdom and deep spirituality’.
It is only fitting that just over a year after his death, Holy Trinity Cathedral proudly opened an art gallery, named
for John and generously supported by him, in the place he so loved. On 4 April 2019, the John Wilson Gallery
was officially opened in the presence of representatives from the Cathedral community, the Art House Trust, and John’s own family.
The various works have been provided on a permanent revolving loan basis and will change depending on
demand and funds. We are deeply grateful to The Arts House Trust, Aleks Petrovic, and all the Trust staff who were instrumental in turning this wonderful gallery from aspiration to reality. There was much work behind the scenes to prepare the very utilitarian space for its new usage including the installation of carpet tiles, specialized spot lighting, acoustic paneling and new security cameras.
The John Wilson Gallery is open for all to view during Cathedral opening hours. It is a peaceful space for those who knew John to remember him, and for art lovers to view some truly special pieces. These pieces join the other great works of art, architecture and sculpture which form the fabric of the Cathedral and its precinct: the stained-glass windows by Nigel Brown, Robert Ellis and Shane Cotton, the Nave font by Ann Robinson, the Bishop Selwyn Chapel by Fearon Hay, and many more.
The gallery was made possible through a generous bequest from the late John Wilson, donations from others
and support from ECC and Asona. We are grateful to all for their commitment to the realization of this
wonderful resource.
We are honored to preserve John Wilson’s memory within the walls of Holy Trinity Cathedral in a way which we
are sure he would have appreciated.
THE ARTS HOUSE TRUST COLLECTION
The Arts House Trust Collection was first established in the mid 1960’s, with a focus on collection New Zealand art and ensuring that this Collection remains accessible to the public. In 1992, the ongoing maintenance and management of the Collection was transferred to the newly formed Charitable Trust so that it may continue to not only add to the Collection and support artists through the acquisition of their works, but to also ensure that audiences continue to engage with the Collection.
Arguably one of the largest privately assembled art collections in New Zealand, the Collection was established in the 1960s with the aim of supporting artists through the acquisitions of their works. The Collection is unrivalled in the acquisition of works of various disciplines, media and from artists of all ethnicities, and in its purpose of fostering, maintenance, promotion and display of the Collection of contemporary New Zealand art throughout the country.
One of the main ways that the Trust ensures the continuation of this engagement is through the running of the Pah Homestead in Auckland. The Pah is the permanent home of the Arts Trust and its Collection and is open to the public six days a week. The Pah hosts a programme of changing exhibitions, including those drawn from the Collection, as well as community and education programmes.
The other way that the Trust ensures its mission that communities continue to engage with the Collection is by making the Collection available via the Art Loans Programme.
The Art Loans Programme breaks down barriers to access, moving beyond the parameters of the traditional gallery concept with the aim of creating relationships between communities and artists. By curating works that reflect the communities that will view them, the aim is to open up opportunities where artists can work, expose them to new audiences, and encourage and foster greater levels of engagement where previously there was none. In this way, the artwork selected for each organisation works as an amplifier to the audiences which engage with the works – challenging them and invigorating them in the hope of creating a lasting impression which will encourage them to continue accessing and interacting with the arts.