Chairman's Report 2007
Year to 31 March 2007
The Trust enjoyed another exceptionally good year with the opening of three major sculptures, Per Capita, Seismic and Wellington Urban Forest.
The Trust's financial statements have been audited and show a strong position.
Per Capita by Cathryn Monro
This intriguing work in weathering steel, placed outside the Museum Hotel, has prompted much favourable comment. The Mayor Kerry Prendergast, the sponsor Chris Parkin, the artist and the Trust's chairman spoke at the opening on 1 December 2006, in blustery weather that took out the sound system. But the work itself with its four distinctive pieces and a pleasant reception in the Museum Hotel more than compensated.
The Trust again congratulates the artist Cathryn Monro, warmly thanks Chris Parkin for his wonderful generosity, and thanks also ECC Lighting for its provision of the lights and the Council staff for their endless help with the many issues of installation.
Seismic by Louise Purvis
Another work of four pieces, this time in Carrara marble, Seismic was opened in Bunny St, a part of the Victoria University of Wellington's Pipitea campus, on 20 December 2006. It is superbly designed for its space and purpose. The Mayor again launched the work, with the artist, the Chief Executive of TOWER Investments Tony Hildyard, and the Chairman also speaking.
I wish to acknowledge fully TOWER's huge contribution, as the principal sponsor of this work and also of two previous major commissions, Kaiwhakatere and SkyBlues.
The Victoria University of Wellington and the Wellington City Council were also major donors who with ECC Lighting made the commissioning of Seismic possible. We congratulate Louise Purvis on her superb vision and her skill at realising this.
Wellington Urban Forest by Leon van den Eijkel
The fourth in the Meridian Energy Wind Sculpture series, Wellington Urban Forest was opened on Cobham Drive after the financial year ended, on 10 May 2007. It was the product of more than 18 months hard work by Leon in collaboration with engineer Allan Brown of Metallion Ltd, Lower Hutt.
Our thanks extend to Meridian Energy and the Wellington City Council as the principal sponsors, with ECC Lighting again in strong support.
The installation of Wellington Urban Forest makes a bold, colourful and already popular statement on the southern entrance route to the city, and takes us past the half way mark for the six planned works in the series.
Len Lye Seminar
On 30 April 2006 the Trust convened a well-attended seminar at the City Gallery titled The Immortality of Len Lye, to debate Len Lye's works and achievements, and the issue of realising his work posthumously. Roger Horrocks, Evan Webb, Andrew Drummond and Tyler Cann participated in a lively and informative discussion.
Projects in Progress
The Wellington Gateway Sculpture is still on the books awaiting, primarily, a resolution of substantial funding issues before it can be announced with any certainty.
The By-pass sculpture has made steady progress since I announced it last year but some issues over the siting of the chosen work means we are still not able to announce the actual selection nor fix a timetable for installation.
We have chosen the artists and design concepts for both the fifth and sixth Meridian Energy Wind Sculptures and are working these through their next stages of detailed engineering. There is at least the possibility that both will be installed and the wind sculpture walk of six pieces on Cobham Drive finished by around this time next year. That will be a momentous event worthy of wide celebration and recognition for Wellington.
I can in general terms announce two new projects. One is the development of a sculpture to be placed in the Kumototo redevelopment area north of Queens Wharf on the waterfront. We are working closely with the selected artist and Wellington Waterfront Ltd to ensure that this very exciting project can be realised and announced in detail soon.
The second represents a new direction for the Trust, our first venture into ‘temporary’ sculpture. This field of art has acquired very wide acceptance in art circles and from the general public in many parts of the world, and Wellington's desire to have more of it here is embedded in the City's public arts policy.
We have developed what we think is a stunning proposal, to temporarily place a sculpture on the four plinths that stretch between Circa Theater and Te Papa. We envisage that this will be a biennial event, with a new work installed to coincide with each International Festival of the Arts. If funds and resources permit we may move to make it an annual event.
The site is just amazing for the project. A vast number of people visit the Te Papa forecourt or walk the waterfront. The plinths are made for such a project. There is a particularly appealing resonance with one of the world's most famous temporary art events, the placement of different sculptures on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square, London. We have aspirations that over time that the Wellington Four Plinths event will match this in fame.
We have obtained the enthusiastic support of the Wellington City Council, of Wellington Waterfront Ltd who own the plinths, and of the International Festival of the Arts, for this project.
The selection of the first installation for next year's Festival has been made, by an independent panel chaired by our Trustee Katy Campbell.
We confirm we are involved with the publication of a splendid book on sculpture and other public art in Wellington. Sponsorship of this has come from Gillian and Roderick Deane, and from the City through the Mayor of Wellington Kerry Prendergast. Jenny Harper both as a trustee at the time and in her professional capacity was appointed editor and Victoria University Press is the publisher.
Financial Statements
The Financial Statements have been audited and copies are available. They show healthy deposits in the bank which as always mainly reflects the generosity of donors to specific projects in paying sums to us before they are required for making payments. This situation does not disguise the fact that most of our sculptures are not fully funded by the major sponsors, so that we are always in fund-raising mode.
Our statements also reflect the payments of $50,000 a year now coming through from the Wellington City Council's Public Arts Fund. This is the first time the Trust has had a regular source of income and represents a very real strengthening of our situation. Of course there are strong accountability requirements around this, and except in very special circumstances we could not seek additional funding from the Council for any of our projects. The first installments have been allocated to the wind sculptures.
Our retained earnings, representing the money we have for other purposes including administration and newsletters, is again in deficit as it often is. It is into this area that membership fees and smaller donations are paid, and I warmly thank all of you who have contributed in this way.
I especially thank Pat Sheehan, our Honorary Financial Adviser, for his work on the Trust's finances throughout the year and in preparing the Annual Financial Statements, and Matthew Underwood for being the Trust's Honorary Auditor.
Vice-Regal Patronage, Trustee and Advisers matters
I am delighted to confirm that His Excellency the Hon Anand Satyanand PCNZM, the Governor General of New Zealand, has agreed to be the Trust's Patron.
During the year we lost Jenny Harper as Trustee after her shift to Christchurch. Although it has taken place since the end of the financial year, I am delighted to announce the appointment of Helen Kedgley, Senior Curator at Pataka, as her successor.
We have lost Arts Adviser Lara Strongman also to Christchurch, and I am delighted to announce that Elizabeth Thomson and Rob Cherry, two of Wellington's and New Zealand's most highly-regarded artists, have agreed to join the panel.
Abby Cunnane our new Administrator has been with us for most of the past year and is a great asset to the trust with her common sense, professional skills and breadth of knowledge.
In addition to the many donors and supporters I have mentioned, I extend the Trust's sincere thanks for contributions over the past year to
•Roger Steele and Lynn Peck of Central Media for the provision of our office space and much other support
•Gary Stewart and his staff at Ocean Design for their unpaid services for all of our publications
•Printlink of Petone, who have generously agreed to meet the costs of printing our newsletters
•Nga Waka Wines of Martinborough which regularly provides fine wine for our events
•Ray Patton, of Clendon, Burns and Park, our Honorary Engineering Adviser
•And Pat Sheehan, of Kendons, who faithfully attends most meetings!
Finally I acknowledge my fellow trustees and Abby and thank them hugely on behalf of you all for their work over the year.
Neil Plimmer
Chairman
