THE PRESS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1978. Improving the art gallery

Press, 29 November 1978, Page 16

THE PRESS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1978. Improving the art gallery

The Christchurch City Council is considering spending quite large sums of money on the McDougall Art Gallery to provide better storage for works of art that are not on display, to improve the gallery's workshop, and to provide a link between the Canterbury Museum and the gallery. The provision of satisfactory storage for the gallery’s reserve collection is imperative. To stint spending money on protecting the works of art from slow deterioration, loss, or accidental damage would be a false economy of the worst kind. Its stock of art is the reason for the gallery’s existence. Access from the museum to the gallery may be less necessary, but it is likely to increase the number of visitors to the gallery and so enhance its worth to the city.

The only serious question to ask is would the spending of this money commit the council to extending the gallery on its present site rather than leave more room for building a modern gallery on another site? The latter would appear to be a better long-term solution to the problems of housing the

city’s art collection adequately and of providing for its proper display. If this is so, should any more money at all be spent on the existing building? These are questions which the British museum designer who is being brought to Christchurch to report on the future development of the gallery will have to answer. The cost of having this report prepared may also seem high, but if it provides a firm base for further planning it will be money well spent. Some immediate improvements to the existing building appear unavoidable: storage- equipment is both important and transferable. But the council must establish quickly whether it is embarking on temporary measures to keep the present building just adequate until a new building is put on a new site, or whether it is working on a scheme to keep, the collection permanently on its present site. In making its decision the council should also take into account the further expansion of the Canterbury Museum. This may one day depend on replacing the gallery and using the present building for museum purposes.