Art collectors, not artists, are in the spotlight as The Suter Art Gallery marks 10 years since reopening with a one-night fundraising auction.
The invite-only event, ‘Friends with Benefits’, will take place on 1 May and aims to raise funds while reconnecting with supporters.
Ten years after reopening, The Suter Art Gallery will mark the milestone with a fundraising auction inviting collectors to contribute works from their own collections.
Since reopening in 2016 after a major $12m refit that took 18-months, the gallery has welcomed close to one million visitors and continues to deliver exhibitions and programmes for schools and community groups across the region.
Director Toni MacKinnon says much of this work relies on ongoing community support and the fundraiser reflects the long-standing relationship between the gallery and its community.
“There is no doubt that The Suter sits at the heart of the cultural life of Whakatū and the wider Tasman region. But a gallery like this does not simply exist because the doors open each morning. It exists because people choose to support it.”
Nelson City Council funding covers around sixty percent of the gallery’s operating costs, she explains.
“The remaining forty percent must be earned or raised.”
Toni says that they are now asking collectors, rather than artists, to donate works for the auction.
“This fundraiser takes the form of an art auction, but with a twist. Rather than asking artists to be the ones who give, this time we are turning to our friends.
“Maybe they’re moving house or downsizing, or they’ve got something that they just don’t actually want to live with, that somebody else might want to live with… think of it as a kind of rehoming.”
Suter board chair Steve Green adds that the fundraiser will not only provide them with some “much needed funds”, but it will help them re-engage with a “whole lot” of older supporters while hopefully attracting some new ones, as well.
A small number of significant works will go under the hammer, with pieces expected to fetch about $3,000 per lot. Early donations include a work from Wollaston Estate and another from a private giver.
“Both of those two givers are huge supporters of the arts already, across Nelson Tasman,” Toni says.
Alongside artworks, unique experiences will also be offered, including the chance to ring the bell at Nelson Cathedral.
Expressions of interest for donated works close 6 April, with the auction order to be finalised on 10 April ahead of the May event.
