The New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata is an art gallery in the Waterfront Shed 11 building in Wellington, New Zealand.
History
The gallery was registered as a charitable trust in 1990.[1] In 2005 the board hired its first paid director, Avenal McKinnon, who held the position until her resignation in 2014.[2] During this time the permanent collection grew from six works to more than 200. In 2014, Gaelen Macdonald was appointed as McKinnon's successor.[3] In 2017, Jaenine Parkinson took over the role of director.[4]
Location
The New Zealand Portrait Gallery's permanent home and exhibition space is in Shed 11, a heritage listed building located on Wellington's Queens Wharf.[5] Shed 11 was built in 1904–5 and designed by William Ferguson, chief engineer of the Wellington Harbour Board.[6] In 1985, Shed 11 was transformed into a gallery space and in 2010 the New Zealand Portrait Gallery secured a long term lease on the building.
Collection
View from the street of the gallery building
The New Zealand Portrait Gallery holds a collection of portraits featuring works by, and of, New Zealanders. In the collection are portraits of many influential and well-known identities including Sir Edmund Hillary, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Sir Peter Blake, and Janet Frame.
In 2014, a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II was commissioned for the gallery. It was painted by New Zealand artist Nick Cuthell in a live sitting. The portrait was unveiled by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, in a ceremony at Government House, and was subsequently hung at the gallery's home in Shed 11.[7]
Additionally, the museum makes its collection available online here.
