The Wellington Art Club is greatly relieved to have received a grant of $20,000 for vital bathroom renovations.
President Charlotte Hird says,” The Wellington Art Club was formed in 1892, so next year we’ll celebrate 130 years of continuous art making. In the 1980’s the club built the current premises in Chelsea Street, Miramar, leasing land from the Wellington City Council.”
“After fifty years of continuous operation, the bathrooms had become shabby and the disability access is not compliant. We have some cash reserves but did not wish to deplete them as maintaining and insuring a building is expensive, so we applied to NZCT in September and were thrilled to be successful.”
“We have wanted to upgrade our toilet and related facilities to enable participation in the club’s programmes by disabled members of the community for some time. The existing facilities are outdated and present access limitations to such an extent that structural modifications are required, which in turn leads to a need to replace the fixtures, fittings, and floor coverings in the toilet and adjacent ‘wash down’ area.
“The Art Club is used exclusively by our members. We have a busy programme of workshops, life drawing, portrait group, and weekly group sessions. The grant from NZCT is a great help and will enable the art club to proceed with the renovations early in the new year.”
Run by and for artists, the Wellington Art Club was established in 1892 by James M. Naim, a Scottish immigrant and art teacher at the Wellington School of Design. Artists in the ‘Pumpkin Cottage’ group supported the development of visual art in Wellington and surrounding areas by sponsoring individual and group exhibitions, offering workshops, and providing education and information to the artistic community and its patrons. Over the years, membership of the club has included many distinguished New Zealand artists, such as James Nairn, Nugent Welch, and Sydney Higgs, as well council members of the Academy of Fine Arts.
