A 'flight of fancy' turns five
CENTRAL ART GALLERY THRIVES IN THE HEART OF THE CITY
WORDS and PHOTO: Joshua Brosnahan
Not many self-described ‘flights of fancy’ have the opportunity to turn five. And yet The Central Gallery, in the Old Library in The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora, has managed to usher in an auspicious milestone in the midst of a half-decade of challenging times for our city.
Co-directors Richard Laing and Jonathan Smart recently shared an intimate five-year celebration for the space with close friends, family, suppliers, and others who were instrumental in bringing the gallery to the position it is in today.
Richard lists the attendees as several local artists, engaged, supportive clients, former staff members, and ‘gallery whānau’.
“It’s what it should have been. A celebration and a nice time for us to reflect.”
Richard said the gallery idea was a ‘bit of a whim’. “Johnny, to his credit, agreed to my request to open a gallery in town. It was a big brave move for him, but he’s nailed it.”
And while often Richard and Jonathan could be considered the public faces of the gallery, there are multiple families involved in the gallery – an eclectic group of people who all had a common goal of bringing art back into the city. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Jonathan reflects on a journey that, at times, was tough. Richard candidly states the earthquakes ‘hit the local art scene hard’.
“Johnny was one of the few survivors. He approached a range of different artists with an offer of support through the gallery space,” Richard says.
The response was overwhelming, which, in Richard’s words, ‘attests to Jonny’s gravitas’.
“We have fearless sustainability now. The first three years felt like hard work. It was such a tough environment. The past couple years, we’ve felt we can see the future and commit to longer-term things.”
Jonathan mentions this includes getting new artists on board. He passionately describes the big, gestural work of Zara Dolan, an up-and-coming artist who will show at The Central later in the year – mono prints with colour in the areas at the gestural marks.
The drift across the cloister to an additional viewing space is well overdue. Jonathan says this was a big move. The room opposite the original is a quirky, eclectic mix of storage and displays of varying works in multiple mediums. There are works in beaten metal, ceramics, glass, and even pounamu – everything that isn’t able to be shown on a gallery rack. Standing in the space gives you the feeling you’re being let in on a secret. You’ll see works from Neil Dawson, Jon Jeet, and Llew Summers, to name a few.
The break-out space isn’t ‘aspirationally commercial’, according to Richard. Jonathan adds that they wanted it to be functional and deliver for the artist what they deserve.
“You end up having unique moments of discovery where you walk in, and it catches you off guard – you get into this back room, and a bit of magic happens”.
Johnny says a gallery has to be a ‘trusting environment’.
“Those foundation artists who have joined us at Central are now part of our wider whānau. And that was a full-circle moment. They’re part of the story, you know? A huge part.”