There might be 90 years between Joan Hardey and Persephone Wells but they have one thing in common F- a love of art.
The pair love drawing and painting, although they are at very different stages of their journey. Hardey, at 100, no longer paints and Persephone, 10, is just beginning.
But both are members of the Otago Art Society (OAS), the youngest and oldest members, and both of their works will be exhibited in the society’s 150th exhibition, celebrating New Zealand’s oldest art society.
President Rose Shepherd says the pair are a good example of what today’s art society has come to be - an inclusive, diverse society which welcomes everyone.
Gone are the days where an artist had to apply to join and have their art judged by a jury before being granted entry.
Instead, anyone who joins up is eligible to have their work exhibited.
There are also members like Hardey who may no longer make art but enjoy being involved in the society and support it in other ways.
Hardey, who was recognised for her contribution to the society with the naming of one of the gallery spaces after her two years ago, says it is meeting like-minded people that is one of the most important things about the society.
“It’s just such a supportive group, you know, for new artists.’’
Back then the society was meeting in the Moran Rooms.
She remembers having open-air exhibitions near the Dunedin Library and Town Hall, each artist having their own stall.
“It was a wonderful activity.”
But it was not long before member and president (1966-69) Shona Macfarlane proposed establishing a gallery at the old North Dunedin post office in 1968 (now the HD Skinner Annex of Tūhura Otago Museum).
By the early 2000s, the art society had grown out of that space and it moved to the first floor of Dunedin Railway Station in 2007.
As well as four gallery spaces and administration offices, it also had a large shop space.
Hardey, a vice-patron and life member, volunteered to open the shop on a Saturday and did so until she was “well into” her 90s.
“I landed doing it every Saturday, and loved it. So for about 16 years, I opened the gallery on a Saturday.’’
When she wanted to learn etching, the society held classes - and over the years, classes, workshops, demonstration days and lectures have been offered regularly.
“There’s always activities. I just love the whole group. And I just love meeting all these interesting people, both artists and supporters.”
Dunedin artist Lynn Taylor credits an OAS exhibition at the Skinner Annex in the 1980s for starting her journey in print making when she made her first art purchase, a print by member Ludmila Sakowskian.
“The graphic marks and way the paper was moulded with an embossing technique became the start of my journey into printmaking.”
She eventually studied printmaking through to masters level.
“I’ve had a wonderful career inking up plates and printmaking all over the world. You never know when a moment viewing artwork will change your perception or life journey.’’
The development over the years of major exhibitions which attract artists from around New Zealand, including the biennial Hope and Sons Art Awards (since 1998) and the Cleveland National Art Awards in 2017, has also increased its importance to the art community.
Dunedin School of Art (DSA) principal lecturer Rachel Allan says the OAS plays a vital role in supporting DSA students and its alumni, providing valuable opportunities to exhibit and develop their work in a professional setting.
A key example is the Cleveland award, which has consistently showcased the work of its students, graduates and lecturers.
“Through initiatives like this, the Otago Art Society fosters strong connections within the local arts community while championing new talent and artistic excellence.”
Former DSA head Bridie Lonie says the retention of the skills that underpin the visual arts requires a broad base.
“The OAS in its inclusivity provides this broad base, thereby acting as one of the foundations of the arts in this city that must have more artists per capita than most.”
This year, the society’s 150th has seen membership swell to 480, up nearly 100 on previous years.
Shepherd says the society has lots of different, diverse members, in age, nationality and life histories.
“It’s very broad.”
While once muted landscapes dominated exhibitions - as highlighted by the recent Heritage Collection Exhibition - today traditional works sit alongside the likes of Nicola Kolig’s melted rock and ceramic work Juxtaposition, Sylvia Peattie’s Kate Bush-inspired textile work Wuthering, wuthering, wuthering…, art student Jemma Edenborough’s moulded PETG (Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol) chicken sculptures, Gallus Family, and Cara Fotofili’s innovative watercolour Rats in a minefield, in the 150th exhibition.
For Taylor, the exhibitions also play an important role in community discourse about ideas and issues.
“I see exhibitions not just for aesthetic display but as a platform - an activated space where art is an agent for change. Exhibitions bring people together. Over the last 20 years, there has been an increase in community arts and science participation projects as a way to deal with issues such as climate change and scratch at complex issues in a collaborative way. Exhibiting the artistic results of such projects shares, communicates viewpoints, sparks innovation and solidifies communities."
But it is exciting to see that so many people value the society and want to be involved, says Shepherd.
The community is also a strong supporter of the gallery, 130,000 people visiting the gallery annually. In the summer, the majority of visitors are from cruise ships and tourists but in the winter it is local visitors.
The recent heritage exhibition, featuring 40 artworks extracted from their storage place in the Dunedin Railway Station clock tower, attracted visitors from across the region.
They were keen to see the works, some on display for the first time in 50 years and had little provenance to them.
Among the works were pieces by local artists H.V. Miller, John Charles Veitch, Fred O’Neill, George Chance, Mabel Hill, Shona McFarlane, Annie Baird, Alfred Henry O’Keefe, Myra Thompson, W.M. Hodgkins, Elizabeth (Annie) Kelly and many more.
Members had spent a great deal of time tracing the history of the works as well as getting the works conserved and reframed.
The Otago Art Society: 150 years
1876: The Otago Art Society was formed with the purpose of education about and advancement of art in Otago. Francis Hodgkins’ father encouraged the purchasing of work for an art collection.
1897: The society had 40 artists and 50 honorary members.
1922: The society and the Dunedin Public Art Gallery amalgamated, the OAS signing over its art collection to the DPAG.
1930: The society ‘‘divorces’’ the DPAG and takes control of its own destiny. Exhibitions are held in hired premises around the city.
1972: The society gets its own home at the old Dunedin North Post Office.
1998: Hope and Sons Art Awards begin
2007: Moves to Dunedin Railway Station.
2017: OAS hosts the Cleveland National Art Awards for the first time
2026: Celebrates 150th anniversary. Has a membership of about 450, aged from 10 to 100.
• Past presidents include Sir Lindo Ferguson, David Theomin, Sir Percy Sargood and Shona McFarlane.
• Since the 1930s, a large collection of paintings have been donated to the society.
• Up until the 1970s, exhibitions were held in various venues around Dunedin including the Municipal Chambers, Public Art Gallery, Concert Chamber, Pioneer and Garrison Halls and part of the present Otago Settlers Museum.
• Committee meetings were held in diverse locations such as private homes, the Moran Building and the billiard saloon above the former Tip Top Milk Bar in the Octagon.
• Oversees Blair Estate purchasing of works for Dunedin Public Art Gallery.
