Tauranga’s contemporary art scene has received a major boost with a formation of a new public art trust.
Over the next decade, Font Tauranga Public Art Trust will deliver a significant collection of contemporary public art across the Te Papa peninsula. At the Trust’s launch on June 7, co-chair Stephen Hahn told philanthropists, art enthusiasts, and business, civic, and arts leaders that Font will fundraise for, commission, and gift to the city a suite of global-standard public art capable of enriching the experience of living in and visiting Tauranga.
Font co-chair Vanessa Hamm, partner at Holland Beckett Law, says these artworks will help make Tauranga a more interesting, vibrant, and invigorating place to live and visit, and secure our city a place at the forefront of contemporary art practice in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The Font collection will be an enduring art experience, winding through and around the central city for many decades to come, drawing tourists and locals alike and ensuring a sense of legacy and contribution to community for all those who help fund the public art projects.
Vanessa says: “Our intention is that these artworks not only become iconic landmarks of Tauranga, but that they help nourish creative spirit in our arts community and inspire a love of all things creative in younger generations.”
Public art trusts are a tried-and-true community-led approach to securing public art, and have been running for many years with huge success in Christchurch (over 25 years, SCAPE has delivered 15 permanent and 250 temporary artworks), Hamilton, and Wellington. The civic transformation coming to Tauranga’s central city presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to embed contemporary public art into the design.
At the launch function, Tauranga City Council Lead Commissioner and public art enthusiast Anne Tolley spoke of the council’s recently-developed Public Art Framework and her joy at the opportunities the framework will provide for public art in the city.
Vanessa says Font’s commissioning process, and the opportunity the collection provides, will help develop contemporary art practice in New Zealand, and demonstrate to rangitahi the many possibilities for work in the creative industries in Tauranga.
Font was founded by Tauranga Art Gallery director Sonya Korohina. The Trustees of Font are Vanessa Hamm, Stephen Hahn, Alice Scapens, Lisa Denyer, Keri Welham, Jo Bond, Lee Warbrick, and Ciska Vogelzang. The Trust’s project manager is Liz Cooper and a curatorial advisory panel will set commissioning briefs, consider artist proposals, and select the artists to deliver works for the Trust. The panel is made up of Tauranga Art Gallery curator Serena Bentley, local artist and author Julia Paama-Pengelly, and former Tauranga Art Gallery Director, now director of the Dowse Art Museum and head of arts and culture for Hutt City Council, Karl Chitham ONZM.
For more information, visit Font’s website.
