Luit Bieringa (1942–2022) was a New Zealand art historian, art gallery director and documentary film maker. Bieringa was born in Groningen in the Netherlands and emigrated to New Zealand with his family in 1956.

Museum career

He was Director of the Manawatū Art Gallery from 1971 until 1979. During this time he led the development of a new purpose-built art centre (the gallery had previously run out of a converted house). He later recalled:

"The main thing was to try and change the context in which the gallery operated to becoming a fully-fledged public institution that the community could relate to. We had people's support and if you think of the time, the early 70s, we'd only just moved out of the rugby, racing and beer environment."

In developing the new gallery, Bieringa focused on making the gallery "as accessible as possible to all the people of the Manawatu, whether their interest be in functional pottery or conceptual art." As one of only three staff at the museum Bieringa was hands-on with all aspects of opening and running the gallery. Influenced by a 1975-76 study trip to Europe funded by the New Zealand Arts Council, Bieringa adopted an approach that a reviewer at the time of opening said "set the way for an active, community based gallery that will meet the needs and offer more besides for the people of the Manawatu." During his time at the Manawatū Art Gallery (now part of the Te Manawa museum complex) Bieringa curated the landmark contemporary photography exhibition '' The Active Eye''. In 1979 Bieringa was appointed Director of the

National Art Gallery of New Zealand National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

. He held this position until 1989. He was a champion of photography in New Zealand, promoting it on a national level with major exhibitions at the National Art Gallery during his directorship, including New Zealand surveys and exhibitions of the work of Peter Black,

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and

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. Bieringa also brought with him a focus on contemporary art backed up by a local and global exhibition program that included: ''America and Europe a Century of Modern Masters from the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection'' (1980), ''

Rita Angus Rita Angus (12 March 1908 – 25 January 1970), a New Zealand painter, has a reputation - along with Colin McCahon and Toss Woollaston - as one of the leading figures in twentieth-century New Zealand art. She worked primarily in oil and water c ...

'' (1982), ''Views/Exposures - Ten Contemporary New Zealand Photographers (''1982)'','' ''I will need words: Colin McCahon’s word and number paintings'' (1984), ''Content-context'' 1986, '' Para Matchitt: Huakina'' (1986), ''Wild Visionary Spectral: New German Art (''1986), ''When Art Hits the Headlines'' (1987), ''Barbara Kruger'' (1988), ''Nobodies: Adventures of the Generic Figure'' (1989) and ''

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: Site Works'' (1989). During Bieringa's time as Director a number of important purchases were added to the National Art Gallery collections including: Colin McCahon ''The Second Gate Series'' (1962) and ''Practical Religion'' (1968–70), Barbara Kruger ''Untitled (We are unsuitable for framing)'' (1985),

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''Y Portfolio'' (1977), Paratene Matchitt ''Te Wepu'' (1986) and

Ralph Hotere Hone Papita Raukura "Ralph" Hotere (11 August 1931 – 24 February 2013) was a New Zealand artist. He was born in Mitimiti, Northland and is widely regarded as one of New Zealand's most important artists. In 1994 he was awarded an honorary do ...

''Black Phoenix'' (1984–88). From 2003 until 2012 Bieringa served on the board of the

The Physics Room The Physics Room is a non-commercial contemporary art gallery in Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South I ...

Film career

Bieringa's career as a film director began in 2006 with the release of '' Ans Westra – Private Journeys / Public Signposts'', a documentary about the photographer

Ans Westra Anna Jacoba Westra (born 28 April 1936), generally known as Ans Westra, is a self-taught New Zealand photographer, with an interest in Māori people, Māori. Her prominence as an artist and author was most amplified by her 1964 piece ''Washday a ...

produced by Bieringa's wife, Jan Bieringa. This director-producer partnership continued with the making of three more arts documentaries: * '' The Man in the Hat'' (2009), about Wellington art dealer and gallery owner

Peter McLeavey Peter Joseph John McLeavey (21 September 1936 – 12 November 2015) was a New Zealand art dealer and advocate based in Wellington. Early life Born in Raetihi on 21 September 1936, McLeavey was the son of Leslie Francis McLeavey and Elizabeth Th ...

* ''

the heART of the matter ''The Heart of the Matter'' (1948) is a novel by English author Graham Greene. The book details a life-changing moral crisis for Henry Scobie. Greene, a former Secret Intelligence Service, British intelligence officer in Freetown, British Sie ...

'' (2016), documenting the establishment of a bicultural, arts-centred educational system in post-war New Zealand, led by

Gordon Tovey Gordon Charles Tovey (4 July 1912 – 16 April 1994) was an English first-class cricketer and schoolmaster. Tovey was born at Salisbury, Wiltshire in July 1912. He was educated at Clifton College, where he played for the cricket eleven from 19 ...

* '' Signed – Theo Schoon'' (2021), a portrait of New Zealand Dutch immigrant artist

Theo Schoon Theodorus Johannes Schoon (31 July 1915 – 14 July 1985) was a New Zealand artist, photographer and carver of Dutch descent. Biography Theo Schoon was born at Kebumen, Java in the East Indies, the son of Dutch parents, Johannes Theodorus S ...

Museum career

Film career

References

Further reading