2021 Govett-Brewster Foundation Award Winner
Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/Len Lye Centre’s 50 year celebration.
For the last five decades the Gallery has delivered a remarkable programme of contemporary art for New Zealand and around the world. For the last two of those decades, the Govett-Brewster Foundation has been the Gallery’s primary partner to realise ambitious programme and collection aspirations that lie beyond core funding.
The night was an important moment for the Govett-Brewster Foundation to acknowledge some of the key contributors to the Gallery’s story over the last five decades. We did this through the inaugural Govett-Brewster Foundation Awards.
John Matthews
Born into a family synonymous with philanthropy in Taranaki, it could almost be considered expected that young engineer and visual arts supporter John Matthews would bring a group of local leaders and influencers together to create the Gallery. Finding a disused cinema in Queen Street, John and artist Michael Smither propose its transformation, even providing the first plan. It doesn’t stop there – John was a catalyst in the Gallery’s initial attraction back to New Zealand of Len Lye and his archives and collection, and the establishment of the Len Lye Foundation to oversee the artist’s sustained significance.
Left to right: John Matthews, Sir David Rendel Kingston Gascoigne KNZM CBE CStJ, Her Excellency The Rt Hon Dame Patsy Reddy and Dr Zara Stanhope (Director of the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/Len Lye Centre)