2019 has been a huge year for team IPAG!
It’s hard to believe that only 12 short months ago we were packing up our beloved gallery space at 5 Don Street and shifting over the road to the Invercargill City Library and Archives. We thought we were going to be short-term tenants in our new home, but as our one year anniversary approaches, it’s fair to say we have been here a little longer than expected!
With this in mind, we would like to thank the library staff for taking us in and doing all they could to make us feel welcome. They have shared their spaces with us without hesitation, put up with our somewhat cheeky sense of humour and accompanying loud laughter and most importantly, given us free reign to decorate their new walls with our beautiful collection. Allowing the public to still access these works during our closure has meant the world to us.
Throughout 2019, our primary focus has undoubtedly been the development of our new collaborative transitional space with the Southland Museum and Art Gallery at 42 Kelvin Street. There is so much that could be said about this project, but for us, what stands out the most is the relationships. Although always collegial, IPAG and SMAG have historically worked in silos, separated from each other. Being involved in the coming together of our two groups for the greater good of both the community and the sector has been a highlight of 2019. Likewise, the relationships that we have developed with local Iwi and Mīharo as part of this project have been invaluable to us.
The power and importance of these combined relationships was best illustrated for us at this year’s Hui-ā-Iwi. Te manu tītī, te manawa o te tangata was just a taster of what the future holds, and we can’t wait to share the rest with you when we open our collaborative space in 2020.
Whilst busy with the above, IPAG has continued to work behind the scenes over the last year to ensure the safety of our collection. We finished the move from Anderson House in April and have since been working on our works on paper collection with paper conservator Marion Mertens. Knowing our collection is safely tucked into its new home for the foreseeable future is a huge weight off our shoulders and a wonderful way to round out 2019.
2020 is going to be an even bigger year, and we cannot wait to usher it in and get cracking. For now though, we would like to thank all our colleagues, funders, friends, and followers for their continued support over the last year.
We wish you all a safe and happy Christmas and New Years with your loved ones.
