Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery attracts 19,000 visitors in first month since reopening

The Sarjeant Gallery's airbridge connects its heritage building (right) with the new Pātaka o Sir Te Atawhai Archie John Taiaroa wing. Photo / NZME

People are flocking to Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery in Whanganui, with more than 19,000 in its first month of operations.

The gallery reopened to the public on November 9 following a decade-long redevelopment.

Director Andrew Clifford said predicting visitor numbers was “a bit of a crystal ball situation”, especially early on, but he was pleased with how they were tracking.

About 5500 visitors went through the gallery during its opening weekend.

“A lot of mid-sized galleries would be pretty happy to have 1000 in a week in normal circumstances so that was pretty outstanding,” he said.

“It really demonstrates how much interest there is in what’s been done here.”

Clifford said a lot of planning had gone into making the opening “not just a one-day hurrah”.

“We tried to extend it for as long as we could without falling over, through an entire month of programmes.”

The Sarjeant hosted 61 free events and performances over that time, as well as a sold-out performance by NZTrio.

Clifford was named as director in December 2022.

“Almost 10 years ago to the day, I opened a gallery in Auckland [Te Uru Waitākere Contemporary Gallery] and was part of a redevelopment coming to its conclusion,” he said.

“It wasn’t as big as this but I had some sense of the ups and downs and things to look out for.

“That has been really useful, especially around how we planned the opening to make the most of this golden opportunity.”

Andrew Clifford says there are exciting things on the horizon at the Sarjeant. Photo / NZME

Clifford said when he started, he did not anticipate the level of pride the community had in the Sarjeant.

It had now come to life and people were “making it their own”.

The gallery’s cafe sold 4488 hot drinks from November 9 to December 8 and its shop sold 1695 items and books.

Last September, the majority of Whanganui district councillors voted to sign off unbudgeted funding of up to $271,336 to bankroll the cafe for its first year.

According to hospitality industry specialist First Retail Group, 600 customers a week with an average spend of $20 a head will bring a yearly profit of $165,464.

Profit drops to $56,264 at $15 a head, and at $10 a head there would be a loss of $52,936.

The cafe had been “a runaway success” so far, Clifford said.

“This first month and summer will perhaps be a lot busier than any we’ll see for a while but, at this point, it’s continuing.

“The cafe makes it a social space, not a sanctified, quiet, cathedral-like space where you look at the things then tiptoe out.”

The gallery is expected to draw 80,000 visitors in its first year.

Redevelopment costs came in at more than $73 million, with operating costs budgeted at $4m a year.

Last May, district councillors Rob Vinsen, Philippa Baker-Hogan and Ross Fallen pushed for a $15 entry fee for out-of-town visitors to offset operating costs but the gallery remains free to enter.

The Sarjeant Gallery officially reopened on November 9 last year. Photo / Michael McKeagg

Clifford said there were opposing views on the gallery but, without them, “you wouldn’t be kept on your toes”.

“They make sure you do your best and not take things for granted.”

There had been a deliberate strategy to make it clear the Sarjeant was for everyone, he said.

“You may or may not have had any background or interest in art but there should be something for most people to enjoy and find interesting.

“It’s not just exhibitions; it’s events, performances, talks and family workshops.”

During the first month, 710 school students and 116 teachers and guardians used the Sarjeant’s education classroom, with 413 children and guardians attending weekend workshops and story time sessions.

The Sarjeant’s opening season, Nō Konei – From Here, will run for six months from the opening day.

Typically, planning for large public galleries was a couple of years in advance, Clifford said.

“I don’t think people realised just how significant the achievement is in what we’ve built here, so we’re getting interesting opportunities coming our way that weren’t in the two-year plan.

“We are trying to see what we can do. The world is our oyster in terms of what the facilities can accommodate.”

He said the opportunities were still under wraps but there were “exciting things on the horizon we are hoping to pin down”.

Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery is open from 10am to 5pm every day.

The cafe is open from 10am to 4pm Saturday to Thursday and until 7pm on Friday.

Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.