Road To Art Gallery ‘Answer To Problem’

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31831, 8 November 1968, Page 12

Road To Art Gallery ‘Answer To Problem’

A sacrifice of a one-chain strip of the Botanic Gardens beside the museum to provide a cul-de-sac would not only improve access to the Robert McDougall Art Gallery, but also provide metered parking for visitors to the gardens, Cr P. J. Skellerup said in his annual report as chairman of the parks and recreation committee, under whose control the gallery comes.

“Although better access for night shows was made possible by the construction of the entrance via the Canterbury Museum Lane, it must be conceded that the Robert McDougall Art Gallery Is not well located,” Mr Skellerup said.

“The answer to this longstanding problem is, I believe, closely associated with better access and parking facilities not only to the art gallery but also to the Botanic Gardens,” he said. An improvement in the relationship with the Canterbury Society of Arts, developing from a better understanding of the separate functions of the two city art galleries, was worth comment,” Mr Skellerup said. “The new gallery built by the society is functioning in a very lively manner and affords local artists much scope to display their talents in attractive surroundings,” he said.

“It is hoped that those few remaining critics of the more conservative policy of the Christchurch City Council’s

Art Gallery Committee will, in time, appreciate that both galleries serve entirely separate functions and yet are complementary to each other,” he said. In the McDougall gallery it was aimed to display as many items from the permanent collection with only limit-’ ed disturbance, for there were a great many local as well as overseas visitors who continued to express pleasure at the exhibits, he said. The gallery was not designed to handle touring exhibitions and although the small unloading and repacking bay added at the rear had alleviated handling difficulties, problems still existed. Damage to frames was always liable to occur when hanging or handling the permanent collection, he said. “To overcome this there is a very definite need for an extension in the form of an exhibition hall. This should be possible without detracting from the fine lines of the present buildings when funds are available,” he said.