Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Only 7% of Council-Owned Art on Display for the Public

Only 7% of Council-Owned Art on Display for the Public to Enjoy

19 JANUARY 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that local councils across New Zealand have accrued more than half a billion dollars of artwork with 93% of the artwork not on public display.

A Taxpayers’ Union briefing paper on research looking at the public accessibility of municipal artworks is now available at www.taxpayers.org.nz/council_art

Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, says, “While we expected local authorities to own significant portfolios of art, such as where councils run galleries or museums, we were amazed to find that the vast majority of works publicly owned are in fact hidden from the public.”

"We found that many of the most expensive items are in mayoral offices or collecting dust in storage.”

“Much of the artwork has been donated or bequeathed to the local authorities so that the public can enjoy it. But that's not happening. In addition, many larger councils designate an amount to be spent each year on new artwork despite only a tiny fraction of their existing collections being accessible to the public.”

“At a time where most councils are imposing average rates increases multiple times the rate of inflation, this research suggests local officials should reconsider where their priorities lie. Is it really worth holding onto such large portfolios when most are in storage gathering dust?”

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

Key findings:

• Territorial authority councils (district, city, and unitary) own at least $568,393,020 of artwork, made up from at least 173,269 pieces;

• The amount of artwork on public display is only 7%;

• Auckland Council has the most valuable collection of artwork, making up almost half of the country’s collection at $276,981,903;

• Whakatane District Council has the least amount of works on public display, with only 0.2% of their $8.75 million collection on display for the public to enjoy

ENDS


© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.