Wellington Museums Trust newsletter June 2004

A FEAST OF PHOTOGRAPHYON THE WATERFRONTProviding more culture on Wellington’s waterfrontwas the idea behind Shed 11 PhotoFestival 2004,and it’s proving a strong success.The event is a partnership between theTrust, Wellington Waterfront Ltd and theNew Zealand Centre for Photography. Thelast of three exhibitions was officiallyopened earlier this month by Te PapaChief Executive Dr Seddon Bennington,with Wellington Waterfront Chair FranWilde also speaking at the opening.Trust Chief Executive John Gilberthorpesays that over 11,000 people have visitedthe exhibitions to date.“The Sunday public programmes havebeen especially popular,” John says,“attracting over350 people on atleast two occasions”.“The success of Shed 11 PhotoFestival2004 also reinforces the Trust’s conceptof the arts and cultural precinct boundedby Te Papa, Civic Square and Queens Wharfthat we have been promoting for the last18 months.”The current photographic exhibition,Victoria Ginn: The Spirited Earth, runs untilJune 6 and focuses on traditional dance,ritual and myth from South Asia to theSouth Pacific. The two previous exhibitionsfeatured the work of Reto Camenisch, oneof Switzerland’s best-known photographers,and that of 19th Century New Zealandphotographer James Bragge, who recordedearly Wellington and the Wairarapa.Above: Cambodian dancers perform at Shed 11Photo by Brian DavisLODGE LAUGHS AT WELLINGTONMuseum of Wellington City & Sea visitors can now look at 20th Century Wellington life through a cartoonist’seyes, with the recent opening of Lodge Laughs at Wellington.Nevile Lodge’s wry take on the Capital,its people and its institutions is thesubject of an exhibition featuring over50 of his Evening Post cartoons andspanning four decades. It is a collaborationbetween the Museum and the New ZealandCartoon Archive, which has staged suchsuccessful exhibitions as “The Other Sideof the Ditch” and “Harpies and Heroines”.Nevile Lodge (1918-89) drew his first“Lodge Laughs” cartoon for the EveningPost in 1947. He became the paper’s dailypolitical cartoonist in 1956 and continueddrawing cartoons until 1988.Cartoon Archive Executive Chairman IanGrant says that Nevile Lodge was onlythe second cartoonist to be employedby the newspaper. “However, he veryquickly gained a considerable reputationin Wellington for having his finger onthe pulse.”the Capital scene for so many decades“and as it would be a tribute to him thatwas thoroughly deserved”.Design and graphics for Lodge Laughs atWellington have been the Museum’sresponsibility, while the Cartoon Archivehas contributed the cartoons andaccompanying text. The archive launcheda book of the same name to coincide withthe exhibition opening.The exhibition is supported by TheDominion Post and The Lion Foundation.Ian Grant says that, when MuseumDirector Paul Thompson approached theCartoon Archive about developing anexhibition that would tell Wellington’smore recent history, he immediatelythought of Nevile Lodge as he had coveredNevile Lodge, Evening Post, 1988, Alexander Turnbull Library ref J-059-0013