Final week of landmark exhibition at City Gallery

PRESS RELEASE
City Gallery Wellington
3 March 2003

Final week of landmark exhibition at City Gallery

Colin McCahon - A Question of Faith

The landmark retrospective exhibition Colin McCahon - A Question of Faith is now in its final days at City Gallery Wellington. This is probably the last opportunity Wellingtonians will have in their lifetime to see such a large collection of works by our most important artist. A number of the paintings in the exhibition have been loaned from and will be returned to private collections in Europe, the United States and Australia following the Australasian tour of the exhibition.

The most comprehensive touring exhibition of Colin McCahon's paintings to date has proved extremely popular with the public. Large numbers are taking this rare opportunity to view McCahon's immensely powerful and moving works. Visitor figures have been high, and with one week to run City Gallery is predicting over 27,000 visitors will have visited the exhibition.

The exhibition wraps up this weekend with three not to be missed free events. On Saturday 8 March at 12noon, Dr. Marja Bloem from the prestigious Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam and curator of Colin McCahon - A Question of Faith returns to City Gallery to offer her unique insight into the work of McCahon in a Gallery tour.

At 2pm on Saturday 8 March Victoria University art historian Christina Barton will give a free lecture in which she will consider debates about the impact McCahon has had on of succeeding generations of New Zealand artists.

The final event to mark the closing of the exhibition will be a lecture by Marja Bloem entitled Colin McCahon and International 20th Century Art, in which she will place McCahon in the development of 20th century art. Basing her talk within the context of the Stedelijk's collection (a prime example of developments in modern art) she will discuss McCahon's unique position - an artist who has both followed early 20th century art, and heralded its later developments.

City Gallery is open daily from 10am to 5pm.

Colin McCahon - A Question of Faith is curated and organised by the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam (SMA) with the organisational support of the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, New Zealand (AAG). The principal sponsor in New Zealand is Ernst & Young. The exhibition is generously supported by Creative New Zealand and private patrons in New Zealand and Australia. Indemnified by the New Zealand Government. Its presentation in Wellington is generously supported by Totally Wellington.

City Gallery Wellington is managed by the Wellington Museums Trust with major funding from the Wellington City Council. Events principal sponsor: Montana Wines Ltd. ENDS

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