Artist Adriene Lockwood at work in the former lodge.
Artist Adriene Lockwood at work in the former lodge.
Artist Adriene Lockwood has breathed new life into the former Waihī Freemasons Lodge.
Lockwood and her partner Gary Ives bought the property four years ago after the Freemasons closed the doors to Waihī Masonic Lodge No 112 for good in 2019.
They set about converting one of two halls on the Keeny St property into their residence while the other will open to the public as a pop-up art gallery on December 8.
“We own and are in a continuing process of renovating the old Masonic lodge building in the middle of Waihī township,” Lockwood said.
“We have decided to open up to the public one gallery room as an operating art studio, the other rooms of the lodge are now a private residence.”
Lockwood will share the space with artist Reese Shuker and hopes the December 8 open day will lead to more open days in the future.
“Gary and I have completed the renovation on the refectory room at the lodge taking nearly three years to create the working studio and gallery.
Artist Adriene Lockwood and her partner Gary Ives bought the property four years ago after the Freemasons closed the doors to Waihī Masonic Lodge No 112 for good in 2019. They have since renovated the building.
“We are happy to have random open studio days for the time being or private viewings.
“And hoping we have retained some of the atmosphere of the Waihī Masonic Lodge, fondly I remember Christmas parties with colourful lights and Santa as a child in the building.”
Lockwood said they had some memorabilia acknowledging the history of the lodge which some people might be interested in.
“It is still a work in progress, the meeting room of the lodge is now a private residence and not open for viewing.”
Lockwood said Shuker was an artist from Pāpāmoa. The pair met at Tauranga Art Society exhibitions and decided to collaborate their mixed styles of art to “give it a go in the art world”.
They bought the building in a derelict state in 2020.
The former lodge has been transformed into a pop-up art gallery and will be open to the public on December 8.
The Waihī Freemasons parted with the property due to failing membership and failure to attract new members, disbanding in 2019.
The building has more than 125 years of history.
Freemasons are an international order established for mutual help and fellowship.
The lodge had many ups and downs over its 121 years. It survived the two wars, the Great Strike in 1912 which bitterly divided the lodge and the town, the economic depression of the 1930s and the lack of candidates in the 1980s and the 1990s.
At the time of its closure, lodge secretary Derek Meredith said it was an inevitable sad decision of having to surrender the charter to the Grand Lodge of New Zealand.
