Jump to content

McGregor Wright Gallery

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The McGregor Wright Gallery was an art gallery in New Zealand from 1879–2013,[1] one of the longest-running galleries in New Zealand. It was established by McGregor Wright in Dunedin. The gallery was based in Wellington for most of its history, but in the 1970s included a branch in Auckland.[1][2] It specialised in oil and watercolour landscape paintings.[3]

History

[edit]
Portrait of McGregor Wright, 1904, New Zealand, by Christian Allers. Purchased 2022. Te Papa (2022-0030-1)

The gallery was established in Moray Place, Dunedin, in 1879, and moved to 1 Princes St in 1885.[4] A Wellington branch opened in 1888 at 129 Lambton Quay,[5][6] and the Dunedin branch closed in 1902.[7] In 1906 Wright sold the business. It was run by Alexander Paterson until the 1930s, when Paterson's nephew Dick Osborne and his wife Phoebe took over. They sold the gallery to their daughter Nancye and her husband Gordon Cooksley, who ran the gallery until it closed in 2013.[1][4]

The gallery was based at 115 Lambton Quay for over 50 years before moving to 26 Waring Taylor St in 1987.[8][4] The Cooksleys opened a Raumati branch in 1986, which was the sole premises after the Waring Taylor shop closed in 2001.[4][9][3][10]

The gallery celebrated its centenary at Turnbull House in July 1979,[11] and continued to celebrate its birthdays with special exhibitions until its 126th birthday in 2005.[12]

It also ran fine art auctions covering a wider range of artists and artworks.[13][14]

Artists

[edit]

The McGregor Wright Gallery maintained relationships with many professional New Zealand artists.[3]

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, artists exhibited at the gallery included Frances Hodgkins, Dorothy Kate Richmond, James Nairn, C. F. Goldie, Petrus Van der Velden, C N Worsley, and Gwyneth Richardson.[15][16][17]

In the mid-20th century, artists included Nugent Welch[18] and Rita Angus.[1]

Post-1960, artists included Douglas and John Badcock,[19][20] David Barker,[21] Gaston de Vel,[22] Tom and Clark Esplin,[23][24] Don Neilson,[25] Peter Brown,[26] and NZ war artists Peter McIntyre and Ion Brown.[27][28]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "End of an era for McGregor Wright Gallery". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  2. ^ "Auckland Group Exhibition". collections.tepapa.govt.nz. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  3. ^ a b c "McGregor Wright Gallery". Wayback machine. 8 November 2002. Archived from the original on 8 November 2002. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d "McGregor Wright history". collections.tepapa.govt.nz. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  5. ^ "Art Dealers". New Zealand Times. 2 September 1899. p. 2. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  6. ^ Cyclopedia of New Zealand. The Cyclopedia Company, Limited. 1897. p. 620.
  7. ^ "McGregor Wright Gallery". natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  8. ^ "Artists and Exhibitions". The Dominion. 15 September 1943. p. 10.
  9. ^ McGregor Wright Premises, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (CA001396/003/0029)
  10. ^ "Residential For Sale by Negotiation: 181 Raumati Road, Raumati Beach, Kāpiti Coast | Bayleys". Bayleys.co.nz - Residential, Commercial and Rural Real Estate Agency in New Zealand. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  11. ^ "Centenary Exhibition". collections.tepapa.govt.nz. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  12. ^ "Birthday Exhibitions: 105th; 110th - 126th". collections.tepapa.govt.nz. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  13. ^ "Fine Art Auction". collections.tepapa.govt.nz. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  14. ^ "Fine Art Auction". collections.tepapa.govt.nz. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  15. ^ "Wilhelmina". collections.tepapa.govt.nz. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  16. ^ Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 109 (6 February 1928). "Exhibition". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 7 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ "1900's". Frances Hodgkins Artist and Paintings. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  18. ^ "Nugent Welch – Wellington Art Club Inc". Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  19. ^ "Douglas Badcock". collections.tepapa.govt.nz. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  20. ^ South Canterbury Artists: A Retrospective View (PDF). Aigantighe Art Gallery. 1990. p. 33.
  21. ^ "Barker, David :After the Rain series; an exhibition of paintings at the McGregor Wright Gallery, 115 Lambton Quay, Wellington, from 1 to 12 May 1978 [Invitation]". tiaki.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  22. ^ Robinson, Denis. "Talented impressionist painter dies". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  23. ^ "Tom Esplin". collections.tepapa.govt.nz. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  24. ^ "Clark Esplin". McGregor Wright Gallery. 4 March 2008. Archived from the original on 4 March 2008. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  25. ^ "Neilson, Donald Robert". natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  26. ^ "Peter Brown Artist - Exhibitions and Events - Fine Arts - Landscapes - Still Life - Flowers - Portraits - New Zealand - NZ - Paintings". www.peterbrownartist.com. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  27. ^ "$20,000 for McIntyres". Press. 30 April 1974. p. 12. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  28. ^ "Official War Artist had City Roots". The Otago Daily Times. 10 July 2021. p. 28. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=McGregor_Wright_Gallery&oldid=1295852459"