We are delighted that Jenny Harper will be our guest speaker on Tuesday 14 April. Jenny is the former Director of the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu. She retired in 2018 after 12 years during which she watched the gallery being overtaken by Civil Defence and the Earthquake Recovery Authority as the only building that had the foundation strength and capacity in the inner city to withstand the ongoing earthquakes. Jenny has spent a large part of her working life involved in the arts. She spent 12 years at Victoria University where she developed the art history department, becoming head of a larger school of art history, classics and religious studies in 2000 and Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Academic) in 2003. Jenny has always been an ardent supporter of Aotearoa New Zealand’s exhibitions at the Venice Biennale, and was appointed commissioner in 2009, 2011 and 2013. This year, Creative New Zealand has commissioned the Christchurch Art Gallery to develop and effectively present New Zealand's installation at the Biennale. It is an exciting project involving New Zealand artists. Jenny says, she understands as well as anyone, the ‘crazy challenges and great rewards of presenting art in this amazing city.’ This year, the Biennale will run from 9 May to 22 November and will be the highlight of the Venetian summer.
