New manager aims to give art gallery broad appeal

By TOM CLARKE

An interesting and stimulating environment, particularly for young people and families, is the aim of the new manager of business development and marketing at the Auckland Art Gallery.

"In the past the gallery has often been criticised for not being as open and as welcoming to younger audiences as it could have been," says Geoff Penrose, who wants the gallery to have broader appeal.

It should appeal to a whole variety of people at different levels, he says

"Unfortunately it has had something of an 'elitist' image in the past. It was perceived that unless you were part of the arts intelligentsia, you were not going to understand what was going on.

"That's actually not true. Anyone can stand in front of a painting and get something out of it - it's just that at different levels of understanding you get different things out of it."

Mr Penrose says exhibitions have to be aimed at different groups and in the past there has not been a lot targeted at the younger generation.

When he was taken to galleries as a youngster, it was a case of being very quiet, "don't touch and don't get too close."

Now this is changing, he says, and people's understanding and access has broadened.

The gallery's "art bus," for example, travels to venues such as schools to promote exhibitions and encourage people to visit.

"We're working a lot more in the education sector," Mr Penrose says, "and targeting exhibitions in that area will make a huge difference in terms of people's perceptions of how accessible the gallery really is.

"After all, it's there for all Aucklanders."

Mr Penrose says the gallery has an extensive diary of upcoming events which includes some important exhibitions.

One, which is aimed at children and families, is an exhibition in the main gallery called Tooth and Claws.

Mr Penrose joins the gallery from his own business planning and HR consulting firm. Before that he was director of the business school at the Institute of Management.

He worked for some years with the Auckland City Council in a variety of roles, including marketing, change management, organisational development and performance management.