INFORMATION

Whanganui has a significant photographic heritage and the Sarjeant Gallery has a nationally significant collection.

Frank Denton was commissioned by the mayor of Whanganui to collect late 19C & 20C International fine art photography for the Sarjeant Gallery collection and did so from 1919 -1926. In 1925, 87 prints entered the collection.

The Tylee Cottage Artist-in-Residence scheme began in Wanganui in 1986. The following artists have been recipients: Laurence Aberhart (1986), Anne Noble (1989), Ans Westra (1993),
George Krause [USA] (1997/8), Paul Johns (2005), Ben Cauchi (2005/6), Andrew Ross (2009), Ann Shelton (2012), Richard Orjis (2014), Roberta Thornley(2015), Conor Clarke (2017), Maree Shannon (2019), Jae Hoon Lee )2019-20), Anne Noble (2020-21), Solomon Mortimer (2021)

Although there are no state funded photography galleries in New Zealand, City Gallery, Wellington, has demonstrated a particular interest in the medium.

McNamara Gallery Photography Ltd opened 25.1.02 and exhibited New Zealand, selected Pacific Rim & International, photographically-based art. We are dedicated to exhibiting and promoting lens-based media, and exploring the range of practice, both materially and conceptually.
Our interest is fundamentally in modern and contemporary art practice; however, we have staged a number of exhibitions examining photographs from the 1960s -1980s. We also exhibit selected work from earlier periods.
We represent a large number of N.Z. and some international artists.
We post on-line exhibitions and have to date developed 36 outreach exhibitions for public galleries. The aim of these is to increase the visibility of, and contribute to the conversations around the medium.
We are a frequent resource for public gallery loans.
Our Whanganui exhibition space, at 190 Wicksteed Street, operated from 25.1.02 to 26.9.15.

THE GALLERY NOW FUNCTIONS VIRTUALLY, we no longer retain an exhibition space.

We hold, or have available to us, a comprehensive and changing range of work as stock which can be viewed by appointment. Images on our web site are changed regularly, but are a small sample of what is available.
We also stock a wide range of photography publications. PDF

Working in a globalized world ours is a client-based rather than a regionally-restricted practice.

Time restraints mean we do not perform insurance valuations. Such valuations are more complex than might appear and require examination of each work. See PDF outlining our position.

Likewise, we are unable to respond to student requests and unsolicited material from photographers unless some free time becomes available.

Address:
Dominion Building
22/80 Victoria Street
Wellington
New Zealand 6011

Contact:
Paul L. P. McNamara
027 249 8059

Contact:
Ann C. McNamara
021 242 4535

mcnamaraphotogal@xtra.co.nz   NO SPAM

Print & publication viewing:
By appointment


Wellington Scoop LINK