Chartwell Collection

In 1970, the Chartwell Trust was founded by accountant Rob Gardiner with the central aim of providing a contemporary art gallery for the city of Hamilton, New Zealand. The Foundation was also intended to promote arts, culture, heritage, community development, education, training, research, as well as the environment and conservation within New Zealand.{{Cite web |title=Being |url=https://chartwell.org.nz/being/history/ |access-date=5 January 2023}}

The first major acquisition for what became the Chartwell Collection was W A Sutton’s Threshold VIII {{Cite web |title=Threshold VIII |url=https://chartwell.org.nz/seeing/collection/threshold-viii/ |access-date=5 January 2023}} 1973 purchased in March 1974.{{Cite web |last=Gardiner |first=Sue |date=2015-09-01 |title=A gymnasium for the mind |url=https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q134289749 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241209034018/https://christchurchartgallery.org.nz/bulletin/181/a-gymnasium-for-the-mind-sue-gardiner-discusses-th |archive-date=2024-12-09 |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=www.wikidata.org |language=en}}

In 1982 the Trust purchased the Hamilton Hotel at 186 Victoria Street next door to the Waikato Art Museum and converted it into the Centre for Contemporary Art. Initially the Centre was used to store the collection but quickly began to present a regular exhibition programme.{{Cite news |last=Walker |first=Richard |date=11 December 2021 |title=Tales of the Hamilton Hotel as it turns into the $76.3m Waikato Regional Theatre |work=Waikato Times}}

From 1985, the Centre held bi-annual exhibitions from the Chartwell Collection{{Cite web |title=Archive / The Centre for Contemporary Art Hamilton, 1982-1994 |url=https://chartwell.org.nz/thinking/journal/the-centre-for-contemporary-art-1982-1994/ |date=9 April 2020 |access-date=5 January 2023}} often focused on recent acquisitions. By 1987 there were nearly 500 works in the Collection with an increasing focus on Australian artists. Rob Gardiner hoped this would demonstrate the changing nature of Australian art and, “…reflect an interest in the interaction of European with the Aboriginal painter’s vision…”{{Cite book |last=Gardiner |first=Rob |title=The Chartwell Collection |publisher=Chartwell Trust |year=1987 |location=Hamilton, New Zealand}} along with giving an “opportunity to explore the similarities, differences and interchange between New Zealand and Australian work.”{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/156769646 |title=Snake oil : Chartwell acquisitions 2002-5. |date=2005 |publisher=[Auckland Art Gallery] |others=Robert Leonard, Auckland Art Gallery |isbn=0-86463-264-9 |location=[Auckland, N.Z.] |oclc=156769646}} The Centre was closed in 1994.

In 1993, the Chartwell Collection was placed on long-term loan to the Waikato Museum of Art and History. In 1996, however, the Trust announced it was going to relocate the collection to the Auckland Art Gallery in response to a management restructure at the Museum.{{Cite news |date=1 November 1996 |title=Valuable Art to Leave City |pages=3 |work=Waikato Times}}

The transfer of the Chartwell Collection to the Auckland Art Gallery began In 1997. In the following years the Gallery has often used the collection in combination with its own holdings and regularly features the Chartwell Collection with stand-alone exhibitions. By 2022 there had been 16 exhibitions dedicated to the Chartwell Collection.{{Cite web |title=Auckland Art Galler Toi o Tāmaki: Exhibition History |url=https://cdn.aucklandunlimited.com/artgallery/assets/media/2022-12-15-auckland-art-gallery-toi-o-tamaki-exhibition-history.pdf) |access-date=5 January 2023}} The most recent Walls to Live Inside / Rooms to Own{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1343018641 |title=Walls to live beside, rooms to own : the Chartwell Show, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. |date=2022 |others=Natasha Conland, Amiria Taumata, Fiona Connor, Tim Wagg, Auckland Art Gallery |isbn=978-0-86463-338-5 |location=Auckland |oclc=1343018641}} opened at the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki September 2022.

File:ChartwellSue.jpg

By the end of 2022 the Chartwell Collection had close to 2100 items on long-term loan to the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki.{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1343018641 |title=Walls to live beside, rooms to own : the Chartwell Show, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. |date=2022 |others=Natasha Conland, Amiria Taumata, Fiona Connor, Tim Wagg, Auckland Art Gallery |isbn=978-0-86463-338-5 |location=Auckland |pages=4 |oclc=1343018641}} The two organisations have worked closely together and at times have made joint purchases such as Giovanni Intra’s Untilted (Studded Suit) 1990{{Cite web |last=Intra |first=Giovanni |title=Untitled (Studded Suit) |url=https://www.aucklandartgallery.com/explore-art-and-ideas/artwork/13444/untitled-studded-suit |access-date=5 January 2023}} in 2003 and in 2009 Michael Parekowhai’s The Indefinite Article 1990.{{Cite web |last=Parekowhai |first=Michael |title=The Indefinite Article |url=https://www.aucklandartgallery.com/explore-art-and-ideas/artwork/16389/the-indefinite-article |access-date=5 January 2023}}

Works to be included in the Chartwell Collection were initially selected by Rob Gardiner who was later joined in the process by his daughter Sue Gardiner,{{Cite web |title=Sue Gardiner, Collector, Writer and Funder, Chartwell Trust: Studio Channel Art Fair |url=https://vimeo.com/72027446 |date=9 August 2013 |access-date=5 January 2023 |via=Vimeo}} and often with advice from the curators at the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. Sue Gardiner acknowledged that, "…there's a big difference between a public collection and a private one. A work for a public collection needs to work in a gallery and within the collection to reveal the power of the artwork".{{Cite news |last=Dekker |first=Diana |date=8 October 2013 |title=Gymnasiums of the Mind |pages=11 |work=The Dominion Post}}

Some collection highlights include Colin McCahon’s Are There Not Twelve Hours of Daylight {{Cite web |last=McCahon |first=Colin |title=Are there not Twelve Hours of Daylight? |url=https://chartwell.org.nz/seeing/collection/are-there-not-twelve-hours-of-daylight/ |access-date=5 January 2023}} 1970, Shane Cotton’s 1996 painting Cross,{{Cite web |last=Cotton |first=Shane |title=Cross |url=https://chartwell.org.nz/seeing/collection/cross/) |access-date=5 January 2023}} Peter Robinson’s Boy am I Scared Eh!{{Cite web |last=Robinson |first=Peter |title=Boy am I Scared Eh! |url=https://chartwell.org.nz/seeing/collection/boy-am-i-scared-eh/  |access-date=5 January 2023}} 1997, Julian Dashper’s Cass Altarpiece{{Cite web |last=Dashper |first=Julian |title=Cass Altarpiece |url=https://chartwell.org.nz/seeing/collection/cass-altarpiece/ |access-date=5 January 2023}} 1986, the 1978 Staircase Night Triptych{{Cite web |last=Clairmont |first=Philip |title=Staircase Night Triptych |url=https://chartwell.org.nz/seeing/collection/staircase-night-triptych/ |access-date=5 January 2023}} by Philip Clairmont, Riverbank with Bathers and Shadows{{Cite web |last=Boyd |first=Arthur |title=Riverbank with Bathers and Shadows |url=https://chartwell.org.nz/seeing/collection/riverbank-with-bathers-and-shadows/ |access-date=5 January 2023}} by Arthur Boyd, et al’s O Studies{{Cite web |last= |title=O Studies |url=https://chartwell.org.nz/seeing/collection/o-studies/ |access-date=5 January 2023}} 2001, Run Off{{Cite web |last=Armstrong |first=Eve |title=Run Off |url=https://stage.chartwell.org.nz/seeing/collection/run-off/ |access-date=5 January 2023}} 2000 by Eve Armstrong, Kate Newby’s I’m so Ready{{Cite web |last=Newby |first=Kate |title=I.m so Ready |url=https://chartwell.org.nz/seeing/collection/im-so-ready/ |access-date=5 January 2023}} 2009, Dumb Waiter{{Cite web |last=Frankovich |first=Alicea |title=Dumb Waiter |url=https://chartwell.org.nz/seeing/collection/dumb-waiter/ |access-date=5 January 2023}} 2009 by Alicia Frankovich, Brown Sloth Creature{{Cite web |last=Upritchard |first=Francis |title=Brown Sloth Creature |url=https://chartwell.org.nz/seeing/collection/brown-sloth-creature/) |access-date=5 January 2023}} 2005 by Francis Upritchard and Campbell Patterson’s 8 videos Lifting My Mother for as Long as I can{{Cite web |last=Patterson |first=Campbell |title=Lifting my Mother for as Long as I can |url=https://chartwell.org.nz/seeing/collection/lifting-my-mother-for-as-long-as-i-can-2009/ |access-date=5 January 2023}} 2006-2013.

The Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki catalogue Home and Away: Contemporary Australian and New Zealand Art from the Chartwell Collection published by the Auckland Art Gallery includes an extended interview with the Chartwell Trust Founder Rob Gardiner.{{Cite book |last=McAloon |first=William |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/44869384 |title=Home and away : contemporary Australian and New Zealand art from the Chartwell Collection |date=1999 |publisher=Auckland Art Gallery in association with David Bateman |others=Auckland Art Gallery |isbn=1-86953-427-1 |location=Auckland, N.Z. |pages=9–13 |oclc=44869384}}

• [https://chartwell.org.nz/ The Chartwell Project]

Category:New Zealand art collectors

Category:Art collections in New Zealand

Category:Art museums and galleries in Auckland

Category:Contemporary art exhibitions

Category:New Zealand artists