Thank you to the Friends of the Museum 2022

We are grateful for your support of Tairāwhiti Museum over the past year.

The impact of Covid-19 has presented significant challenges for the museum over the past year, but thanks to strong ongoing community support, Tairāwhiti Museum is in a good position as we head in to the new financial year. We look forward to the resumption of a more ‘business as usual’ programme of events and activities as the year progresses.

Due to the restrictions on in-person gatherings in spaces such as museums the Friends of the Museum committee was not able to meet at the RED traffic light setting, but, now we are back at ORANGE we are pleased to be able to gather together again.

Thanks to your support we have been able to continue to make a contribution to museum activities and collections acquisitions over the past year – this has included:

• contributing to the production and installation costs of Matt Randall’s maquette ‘Hawaiki Turanga’ at the entrance to the museum;
• the purchase of works by local artists Michelle Kerr and Leah McCann
• the purchase at auction of a painting by New Zealand painter Albert Aldis (1865 – 1921) of the Waiau River, c 1900
• support of the production costs for catalogues ‘We Can’t Stop Now’ (Gisborne Printmakers’ Group) and ‘Beginnings’ (Peter Ireland) to accompany his upcoming exhibition

The Museum board and staff are continuing to work with Gisborne District Council on a revised lease and new contract for services for the years ahead, though fortunately funding has been confirmed for the next financial year while these discussions continue. The museum has also recently received confirmation of a successful tender bid for the provision of ELC (Enriched Local Curriculum) programmes to schools for the next three years. This is the backdrop for a significant work programme in building maintenance and in exhibition and collection development activities in the 2022/23 year.

Tairāwhiti Museum has also recently established a special endowment fund with The Sunrise Foundation to support collection development and care. We are grateful to Michael and Ann Muir for making a donation to establish the fund, and to Les McGreevy, who left a generous bequest to the museum which has now been transferred to the fund. Any donation you make to this special fund will be invested, protected and grown each year, with surplus investment income granted back to the museum annually.  If you’d like to find out more please contact Glenda at the Sunrise Foundation on 06 867 7939 or visit www.sunrisefoundation.org.nz.

For those of you who haven’t yet renewed your membership for 2022/23 please get your subscriptions in so you can continue to enjoy:

• 10% discount on purchases from the museum shop
• 10% discount on purchases from Exhibit Café
• 10% discount on photographic purchases and purchases of art works from ‘selling’ exhibitions
• 10% discount off the usual price for framing from Personality Framers
• Museum newsletter posted to you each quarter
• Invitations to exhibition previews and special Friends of the Museum events
• Discounted entry to selected museum events and activities
• Opportunities to participate as an exhibiting artist and museum volunteer

We hope you will continue your membership to both support the arts, culture and heritage of Tairāwhiti, as well as take advantage of the great benefits museum membership has to offer.

The Friends Committee would be happy to hear any suggestions you have for Friends of the Museum projects, activities and partnerships over the coming year. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with your ideas.

Finally, we would like to thank our exhibition preview sponsors Sunshine Brewery and Spade Oak Vineyard, we are most grateful for their support of the museum over the past year.

Thanks for being with us and your help in making Tairāwhiti Museum one of New Zealand’s premier regional museums. We look forward to your support over the next year.

Yours sincerely

Eloise Wallace, Director, and Museum Staff

Clare Robinson, Chair, and Friends of the Museum Committee members