The heritage-listed Forrester Gallery, in Thames St, officially reopened last week following a $7 million three-storey extension at the back of the building.
The Waitaki District Council said in a statement tomorrow there would be a day of free events at the gallery.
The Friends of the Forrester Gallery said the “long-awaited milestone” of the reopening would be marked with “lively events and a fantastic street party atmosphere for all to enjoy”.
Guided tours would be available and there would be talks by some of the exhibiting artists, as well as live music and performances.
Curator Anna McLean said the reopening would feature several new exhibitions “including Kārakaraka Toi”.
“Echoing the waterways of Te Waipounamu, this collaborative exhibition by Paemanu Ngāi Tahu Contemporary Visual Arts emerged from a journey along Waitaki awa. First shown at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art in Meanjin Brisbane at the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, it returns home.”
A dawn ceremony, led by Te Rūnanga o Moeraki, has already been held and the name Mahika Kai Mahika Toi was given to the extension — “the work of food, the work of art” refers to the intergenerational practices of sustenance and creativity.
The extension was carried out by construction firm Naylor Love with the help of local sub-contractors and suppliers.
The gallery building was originally the local branch of the Bank of New South Wales and a residence for the bank manager and their family. The building was given a new lease of life when it opened as a public art gallery in 1983.
