Our committee

My connections with Friends started when I found out about the Aigantighe Gallery soon after my arrival in South Canterbury in 1968. I had been appointed as a second teacher at the two teacher school called Cannington near Cave and I was boarding out at Cannington.

One weekend I was offered a ride into Timaru by my landlady and not owning a car, I accepted with enthusiasm. I walked about Timaru to find very little open for visitors, but Aigantighe was open, and I visited, and finding it open prompted me to write a letter to the editor of the Timaru Herald to congratulate Aigantighe on being the “ only place of interest open on a Saturday afternoon to offer entertainment to culturally minded visitors.” The museum and the library were not open!

But despite not owning a car, during the 1970’s I often went to exhibitions at Aigantighe and during the 1980’s I must have officially joined Friends.

A few years elapsed when I was not an active member of Friends or any specialist art group during that time as I was busy with our five children. But I kept up the membership with my long-time loyalty to art in the community and support of the promotion of art that I have always had and still do.

At present, these years have rolled on, of course, and I am now a committee member of Friends, and I have helped with secretarial work, been Vice President, President, and presently immediate past President.

In 2025 I was the convenor and researcher of one of two support groups that applied for and achieved a heritage listing for the Kate Sheppard National Memorial made by Margriet Windhausen of South Canterbury. This Women's Suffrage relief sculpture is situated on the banks of the Avon River close to Oxford Terrace in Christchurch.

What do I enjoy about being part of Friends? Being a keen advocate for our local South Canterbury art and enjoying visiting exhibitions for what they do to enhance our interpretation and discovery of techniques gives me the most enjoyment. I retired from Timaru Girls High School in 2007 and during my 22 years teaching there, I organized dozens of visits of my classes to go and see exhibitions at Aigantighe. Students were helped by many Aigantighe staff members with their research about art history topics at senior level, and this was always greatly appreciated by my students. On occasions, staff accompanied my classes to visits in Dunedin and Christchurch.

What do I value about Aigantighe Art Gallery? The good choices that have been made by staff and members of selecting works for the art collection of Aigantighe. Their input has been thorough, accurate and academic. The gallery is nearby and accessible and on any visit I always learn or discover something new.

Is there a Friends supported project activity or contribution that makes you feel especially proud? I am very proud of the refurbished homestead to show visitors and to drive past or visit. It is a very fine tribute to all who have been involved. It reinforces the established position of art in new Zealand and in South Canterbury in particular; giving credence and accumulated knowledge an apt place.

What would you like more people to understand about Friends? That the membership of Friends all have individual abilities and interests and no one is more correct or accurate than another. Its an amalgam of people with inspirational interpretations and freedom of choice is welcomed. There is something for everyone!

Committee Member, member of the Friends, and now Secretary of the Friends

When you think about the Friends, what first made you want to be involved? A conversation with a lady on a flight to Wellington who was the Treasurer at the time and invited me along and co-opted me on to the committee.

What do you enjoy about being part of the Friends? Part of a hard working group of men and women who go out of their way and volunteer time and energy to the legacy of the Friends and art in general for South Canterbury

What do you value about Aigantighe Art Gallery? The now completed Historic Home and the breadth and depth of shows at the gallery

Is there a Friends-supported project, activity, or contribution that makes you feel especially proud? It's a collective thing, no one show or activity stands, many do for different reasons

What would you like more people to understand about the Friends? How much the charity does for the general arts in the South Canterbury region

Finish this sentence: “I am part of the Friends because I like to volunteer and I love art so this brought those two things together"

Committee Member

When you think about Friends, what first made you want to be involved?  I joined the Friends because I enjoy visiting the gallery to view the interesting and diverse range of exhibitions on show. Art is an important part of society, and we are very lucky in to have a gallery with such an amazing permanent collection which includes local and nationally important artists. Being part of the committee means supporting the gallery and enjoying the company of other people who also enjoy art. The Friends has a legacy of supporters who saw a need in the community and then worked as a group to ensure that need was met. The projects supported by the Friends that I am most proud of are the ones that get art from the gallery out into the community so that people who don’t think that art galleries are for them can see the reproduced art in our public spaces and hopefully be encouraged to visit the gallery, after all the collection is there for the community to enjoy!

What do you enjoy about being part of the Friends and the Aigantighe Art Gallery? Our family live close to the gallery and visiting the Aigantighe on a weekend day was something we did with our children. We bought a painting by local artist Migde McMillan when I was pregnant with our first child, I’ve promised it to her for her 21st birthday!

Is there a Friends-supported project, activity, or contribution that makes you feel especially proud? The projects supported by the Friends that I am most proud of are the ones that get art from the gallery out into the community, for example the coastal walkway art signs, so that people who don’t think that art galleries are for them can see the reproduced art in our public spaces and hopefully be encouraged to visit the gallery, after all the collection is there for the community to enjoy!

What would you like more people to understand about the Friends? The Friends is for everyone, you don’t have to know heaps about art, you just need to value the place of art in our society.

Finish this sentence: “I am part of the Friends because…” art is important, it opens your eyes to how other see the world

I am Welsh, I was born in Llandaff, just outside of Cardiff in South Wales. I moved to Surrey when I was 9 years old.  I had such an inspirational teacher of History that I made the decision to teach the subject when I was twelve years old. At the age of 15, I was making regular visits via train to the National Portrait Gallery in the heart of London. I would love to revisit this facility next year as it was closed for refurbishment when I visited Europe three years ago. 

I have a very broad appreciation of visual art. In both Sydney and Auckland, I taught Art History and Classics to Senior School students. In most cases this included a focus on the Early and Late Renaissance and Modernism/ Cubism. However, one of my favourites is the Art and Craft movement. It appeals to my interest in art, literary creations and antique furniture to name but a few! 

Three years ago, I was very fortunate to spend a month in Europe. During this time I visited Amsterdam where I visited the renowned Rijksmuseum. in addition to Rembrandt’s House as well as galleries containing art by Vermeer, one of my all time favourites! At Rembrandt’s House one could view the actual artistic tools the master had used on his canvases. The Rossetti Exhibition at the Tate Britain was also amazing and very memorable. 

One of the other highlights for me as a teacher of History and Art History was presenting a paper at the special exhibition held in Melbourne from the 8-11th September 2016 entitled “ Human Kind : Transforming Identity in British and Australian Portraits 1700-1914.” It was quite surreal discussing portraiture with leading curators from the Tate Britain, The National Gallery ( London)  and the Albert and Victoria Museum. The event was also sponsored by the National Gallery of Victoria and the University of Melbourne. As conference participants we were all allowed free access to the “Degas: A New Vision” Collection which had just been launched.

I arrived in Timaru 12 years ago to take up a position teaching History at Timaru Boys’ High School. Naturally as an art historian I located the Aigantighe Gallery within 48 hours! I was so impressed by the House Gallery as it reminded me so much of the intimate locations I knew from the United Kingdom. Many of our magnificent stately homes such as Longleat have vast collections of art which are on public view. Unfortunately, that was not the case in Australia, consequently I was thrilled to visit the House Gallery and also appreciate the history of Timaru. When I moved into my house which is very close to the Aigantighe, I proceeded to research the history of my home. I was shocked to find that an important artist Astrid Mollie Steven had lived on the premises and painted in a studio she created, which is still in the grounds of the house. Two years ago I was very pleased to be able to erect 2 prints of classic paintings which are held in the Aigantighe Collection, in her original studio setting. I am thoroughly enjoying my involvement on the committee of the Friends of the Aigantighe Art Gallery. I was Secretary for 8 years and have been in the role of President for 3 years. I look forward to being involved in the sphere of visual art for many years to come.