Woodville’s gift acknowledges decade of artist exchanges

Joan and Kevin McIntyre stand by the statue of Gottfried Lindauer, outside Rinitawa Gallery with copies of the book On Gottfried Lindauer Art Residency, Woodville, New Zealand sent from Pilsen University to acknowledge artist exchanges.

A book recognising an exchange programme between Pilsen University in the Czech Republic and Rinitawa Gallery has been produced by a former artist-in-residence.

Several copies have been sent to Joan and Kevin McIntyre in Woodville who were behind the programme where, since 2016, four artists-in-residence have been hosted for several months to create work for their studies.

The programme was the inspiration of Joan and Kevin who became interested in one of Woodville’s most famous residents Gottfried Lindauer.

Lindauer travelled from Pilsen in Bohemia to New Zealand in 1874, finding a permanent home in Woodville from which he photographed and painted prominent New Zealanders of the time, particularly Māori.

His paintings are valued for their sense of detail and for documenting the life of Māori people and their culture and he is considered one of the greatest New Zealand painters in that respect and known as the “Māori Painter.”

The couple decided to research Lindauer and wrote of his work, while gaining community support to build a replica of the painter’s studio in what is now called the Woodville Rinitawa Galleries.

Joan and Kevin also developed the idea of an Artist in Residence from Pilsen University to be hosted in Woodville.

Pilsen University vice dean Vojtech Aubrecht says “It was a very attractive but also immensely friendly and generous offer. Travelling and encountering new cultures is highly beneficial for everybody, but for artists in particular.

“A long-term stay in another country provides strong, important and very often breakthrough impulses that shape one’s personality and influence their artistic growth.”

The exchanges began with Filip in 2016, Jana in 2018, Martina in 2020 and Krystina in 2024.

On completing her Masters, Martina was appointed to the Lidislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art at the University of Western Bohemia, Pilsen with one of her responsibilities to support international exchanges.

She compiled the book as a record of her experiences in New Zealand, with pictures and impressions of its landscapes, its people and its cultures.

Copies have been distributed to those involved with the Artist in Residence programme. Major sponsor Scanpower now has a copy in its boardroom.

A copy is available in the Woodville library.