13 May 2013
Media
Statement
Auckland Art Gallery Director Appointed
Regional Facilities Auckland (RFA), the
body that oversees Auckland’s arts, culture, heritage, leisure, sports and
entertainment venues, has appointed Rhana Devenport as the new Director of
Auckland Art Gallery.
Rhana Devenport is currently Director of
the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery in New Plymouth and has over 20 years experience
curating exhibitions focusing on Australasian and international contemporary
art practice. She replaces former
director Chris Saines who resigned in March 2013 to become the Director of the
Queensland Art Gallery. Ms
Devenport will take up the position on 29 July 2013.
“Rhana was the leading candidate for the
position from a very strong field, identified through a global executive search
programme,” said Dame Jenny Gibbs, Deputy Chairperson of the Board of Regional
Facilities Auckland, and the convener of the panel which made the
appointment.
“Rhana has an
extensive background in contemporary and modern art practice in New Zealand,
and an excellent national and international network. She has a profound
dedication to creating powerful links between art and audiences in exciting,
innovative exhibitions and public programmes during over two decades of
leadership and management experience in Australasian art museums, biennales and
cultural festivals.
“For the last seven years, Rhana has led
the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery in New Plymouth where she has considerably
enhanced its reputation as a leading and courageous contemporary art museum.
She has worked on a number of fronts from curating a series of significant
exhibitions, fundraising for the new Len Lye Centre, and deepening the
relationship of the gallery with Maori and Pacific communities. We are
delighted by the appointment,” said Dame Jenny.
ENDS
For further information please contact Paul
Brewer, Director External Relations, 021 532 920 or paul.brewer@rfal.co.nz.
Background information:
RHANA
DEVENPORT
Rhana Devenport is a museum director, curator, writer, editor and
cultural producer with over twenty years experience working with art museums,
biennales, art festivals, private collections and cultural organisations. She is currently Director
of New Zealand’s highly respected Govett-Brewster Art Gallery in New Plymouth. During
her seven-year tenure she has broadened audiences, led the curatorial programme
and played a key advocacy and fundraising role with the major Len Lye Centre
expansion project that is now under construction.
Previously positions include Manager of Public
Programmes with the Biennale of Sydney
(2005-2006) and Senior Project Officer with the Asia Pacific Triennial, Queensland Art Gallery (1994-2004), where
she played a formative role in the Triennial’s development. She was also
Curator in Residence with Artspace Auckland (2005) and Visual Arts Manager with
the Sydney Festival (2004). Her early
background is in education and she maintains a strong interest in audience
growth and engagement.
She has initiated and curated major exhibitions,
commissions and publications with contemporary New Zealand artists including Peter
Robinson, Lisa Reihana, Bill Culbert, Fiona Jack, Fiona Pardington and Alex
Monteith. She has a strong connection with cultural practice in Asia and the
Pacific and has curated projects with leading international artists including
Nam June Paik, Judith Wright, Nalini Malani, Lee Mingwei, Jin Jiangbo, Pinaree
Sanpitak, Zhang Peili, Yin Xiuzhen and Song Dong. Rhana writes frequently for
publications and journals and is a speaker at cultural events, having presented
papers at symposia in Fukuoka, Guangzhou, Havana, Sydney, Tokyo, Vancouver and
Vilnius, and most recently in Shanghai. She has undertaken internships in
leading international art museums in Japan, the US and the UK, and has served
on numerous cultural advisory panels nationally and internationally.
