From the MTG: Remembering arts advocate Roy Dunningham

Landmarks Roy Dunningham with Prime minister Helen Clarke, under the ball sculpture in Hastings CBD during the PM's visit to Hastings.

Two weeks ago on April 14, we lost one of the region's greatest advocates for the arts, with the passing of Roy Dunningham.

Roy found a love for the arts at a young age in secondary school, where he was taught by well-known artist Yvonne Rust (potter and painter).

After completing high school, Roy went on to study at Ilam and then trained as an art teacher. Spending his first year teaching at Te Kuiti High School, Roy then returned to Hawke's Bay as a teacher at Hastings Boys High School.

By all accounts he was an inspirational teacher who provided a haven for students from the strict culture of Hastings Boys at the time. Artists who were taught by him credit Roy for opening up new worlds to them and setting them on their career path. Roy counted among his students Split Enz's Phil Judd, Freeman White and Matthew Couper.

Roy was incredibly knowledgeable about the arts, especially visual arts and in particular, paintings. He had an absolute wealth of knowledge that he communicated and shared in a beautiful and generous fashion.

He could speak to all kinds of works, from those of students to the works of masters, all with equal respect. He was poetic and light in his readings of artworks and most of all, he could communicate the wonder of art in an accessible way that would draw you in.

Roy had a way of including you in his world and making you feel that you belonged there – he was encouraging and embracing of all. I certainly know that at MTG we benefited from and appreciated Roy's generosity in both knowledge and spirit.

His knowledge of the MTG's art collection and its history was such that we arranged to film Roy speaking about the evolution of this collection.

In this film, he shares many fascinating historical stories about the collection and highlights a number of significant acquisitions that have been made over the years. In each case talking not only about the artwork itself, but about how it enhanced the collection, sometimes marking a new direction or lifting the quality of all the works we hold.

Roy also shared stories about why some 'less than great' works have made their way into the collection and provides a fascinating glimpse of the politics at play at the time.

Overall, the film captures Roy's insight into how the collection has been shaped over many years and why the museum has the collection we have today.

Roy's support and encouragement never waived and even while undergoing cancer treatments he continued to give generously of his knowledge, his time and himself.

On a personal note, I am so very sad that Roy has passed away but also so very glad that I had the privilege of knowing him.