The New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts (also referred to as the Wellington Art Society) was founded in Wellington in July 1882 as The Fine Arts Association of New Zealand. Founding artists included painters William Beetham (first president of the Association) and

Charles Decimus Barraud Charles Decimus Barraud (9 May 1822 – 26 December 1897) was a New Zealand pharmacist and artist. The tenth recorded child of William Francis Barraud and his wife, Sophia Hull, Charles was born in Camberwell, Surrey, England on 9 May 1822 ...

. The association changed its name to the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts and was incorporated as a limited company in 1889. Charles Barraud was elected the Academy's president at its first

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on 1 July 1889. The

Governor-General of New Zealand The governor-general of New Zealand ( mi, te kāwana tianara o Aotearoa) is the viceregal representative of the monarch of New Zealand, currently King Charles III. As the King is concurrently the monarch of 14 other Commonwealth realms and li ...

is the traditional patron of the Academy.

Galleries

The Academy was granted a section of reclaimed land on

Whitmore Street Whitmore Street is at the boundary of the central business district and the government buildings area of Wellington, Capital of New Zealand, New Zealand's capital. The street runs almost north-south and is one of those linking Lambton Quay, Welli ...

by the government, and its premises were constructed there in 1892. Architects involved in the building's design were Academy members

Christian Toxward Christian Julius Toxward (1831–1891) was a New Zealand architect. He was born in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1831. He is buried at Bolton Street Memorial Park Bolton Street Memorial Park, formerly known as Bolton Street Cemetery, is the oldest ...

and

Frederick de Jersey Clere Frederick de Jersey Clere (7 January 1856 – 13 August 1952) was an architect in Wellington, New Zealand. Biography He was born in Walsden, near Todmorden, Lancashire and trained as an architect before emigrating to New Zealand with his family ...

. The building was used for the Academy's exhibitions and made available for hire as a source of revenue. It was later opened to the public as The Academy Free Art Gallery by Wellington mayor Thomas William Hislop, on 14 June 1907. Extensions to the gallery building, funded by grants from the government and the Macarthy Trust and by a loan from the National Bank, were designed by de Jersey Clere and another architect named Baun. The building ultimately proved unsatisfactory and, after protracted discussions within the Academy membership and negotiations with the government, the Academy decided to sell its land and gallery and put the proceeds towards the cost of constructing a national art gallery, in exchange for permanent accommodation in the new gallery. The Reserves and other Lands Disposal Act 1928 was passed to permit the sale and donation to go ahead, and in 1936 the Academy sold the Whitmore Street property and donated the proceeds to the new Dominion Museum and National Art Gallery of New Zealand, on the proviso that they would be accommodated in the new Dominion Museum building on Buckle Street. When the National Museum and the National Art Gallery of New Zealand moved to

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is New Zealand's national museum and is located in Wellington. ''Te Papa Tongarewa'' translates literally to "container of treasures" or in full "container of treasured things and people that spring fr ...

the Academy was paid compensation of $1.2 million to enable it to establish itself elsewhere. The Academy has been based in the Wharf Offices building at 1 Queens Wharf since 1998. The refurbishment of the building for the Academy in 2000 won the architects Heriot + Melhuish the New Zealand Institute of Architects award 2001.

Exhibitors

Artists who have exhibited their work at the Academy include Gottfried Lindauer, Frances Hodgkins, Charles Goldie, Rita Angus, Ralph Hotere and

John Drawbridge John Boys Drawbridge (27 December 1930 – 24 July 2005) was a New Zealand artist, muralist and printmaker. He was famous for his murals in public places: for the foyer of New Zealand House in London in the 1960s, the Beehive in the 1970s, and ...

Collection

The Academy's Whitmore Street property had housed the national art collection as well as the Academy's permanent collection. During the transition to the new National Art Gallery all art belonging to the Academy was transferred into the national collection, despite some opposition.

Officers

Fellows

The council of the Academy bestows the Governor-General's Award periodically to an artist who is a member of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, and who has made a significant contribution to the arts in New Zealand over an extended period of time. A maximum of one award is made in any given year. The recipient also becomes a fellow of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts. The list of fellowships awarded to date is shown below.

References

External links

The Academy in "An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand" (1966), edited by A. H. McLintock
{{Authority control New Zealand art Art museums and galleries in New Zealand Arts organisations based in New Zealand 1882 establishments in New Zealand Organisations based in Wellington