Bill English National Leader

January 31 2002

Priceless art collection moves a step closer

National leader and Clutha-Southland MP Bill English says he's delighted that the move to house one of New Zealand's most comprehensive and diverse art collections in Gore is now a step closer.

Today, Mr English turned the soil for expansions to Gore's Eastern Southland Gallery, which is to become the new home of the personal art collection of internationally renown, New Zealand-born professor of psychological medicine Dr John Money.

"This is the culmination of a number of years and a huge amount of work by many people - especially Eastern Southland Gallery director Jim Geddes - to get Dr Money's wonderful collection repatriated back from the United States to Gore," he explained.

Highlights of this impressive art collection include 104 Theo Schoon and 14 Rita Angus paintings, more than 100 items of African statuary and some 30 Arnhem Land aboriginal artworks. The collection will also include a number of Ralph Hotare canvases.

"I am proud, as the local member, to have been asked to be the official patron and pleased to have been able to help with the feasibility study and securing the necessary funding to bring this treasured collection to Gore," he added.

Mr English says he was keen to help out when the Eastern Southland Gallery approached him - back in August 1998 - with its plans for the million-dollar project.

"I don't believe that the big metropolitan centres should have a stranglehold on the arts and have always been committed to the model of arts communities out in the provinces and in New Zealand's heartland. This is a perfect example of it," Mr English concluded.

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