The Suter Launches “Friends With Benefits” Anniversary Art Auction
Ten years after reopening its redeveloped gallery, The Suter is marking the milestone with a one-night fundraising auction on Friday 1 May.
The redevelopment of the Gallery a decade ago was made possible through the support of the community. Ten years on, The Suter is once again inviting the community to help shape the Gallery’s next decade.
Since reopening, The Suter has welcomed close to a million visitors, alongside presenting exhibitions and programmes for schools and community groups across the region.
The anniversary auction, titled Friends With Benefits, recognises the supporters who help keep the Gallery open and the many people who benefit from having a public gallery in the region.
The auction will feature a small number of significant works, and the Gallery is inviting collectors to consider contributing an artwork for the evening. Works are expected to attract around $3,000 per lot, helping ensure the event generates meaningful support for the Gallery’s work.
Director Toni MacKinnon says the fundraiser reflects the long-standing relationship between The Suter and the community that supports it.
“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. The remaining forty percent must be earned or raised. In very real terms, The Suter has always stood on the generosity of the friends who stand behind it.”
MacKinnon says the auction offers a different way for supporters to contribute.
“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.
“Many people have lived with artworks for years. Some may be downsizing, or simply ready for a change. A piece that no longer fits your walls might be exactly the work someone else has been hoping to find.
“Think of it as a kind of rehoming. An artwork moves on to a new life, a new wall, and in doing so it helps sustain the gallery that brings art into all our lives.”
Funds raised through the auction will help the Gallery care for its collection and building, support the work that happens behind the scenes, and ensure The Suter remains a vibrant and accessible hub for the arts.
Collectors who value the role the Gallery plays in the region may already have a work that could contribute to the evening.
Expressions of interest for donated works close Monday 6 April, with the auction order finalised on 10 April ahead of the Friday 1 May event.
Collectors interested in contributing a work can contact
toni.mackinnon@thesuter.org.nz
About The Suter
The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatū is a public art gallery in Nelson, Aotearoa New Zealand. Established in 1899, it is one of the country’s oldest galleries and holds a nationally significant collection of New Zealand art. The gallery presents exhibitions, education programmes and public events, welcoming around 100,000 visitors each year.
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