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We’re delighted to announce that Malcolm Smith Gallery, a contemporary art space for the eastern suburbs of Auckland, will be opening in the idyllic surrounds of Howick, June this year. The new Gallery, designed by Creative Spaces, will be part of a creative cluster of operations at UXBRIDGE Arts & Culture, which also includes a theatre for performances and cinema, and studios for courses in painting, pottery, jewellery, and more.

The Gallery is named after the late local architect, community stalwart and founding member of UXBRIDGE in 1981. Architects are prone to envisioning compelling futures and enjoy a particularly social role. It may even be said that theirs is an intrinsically social art form. Malcolm Smith envisaged a centre for his hometown that would be a beacon for the art and ideas of their day. From the beginning, and even until his demise in 2010, Smith made a priority of good architecture, and was involved in recommending building developments for UXBRIDGE. Once any alteration or improvement was accepted, Smith was always to be found contributing to its execution, from erecting the first crèche fence to the interior painting of the theatre. The UXBRIDGE complex, as it stood before the commencement of the redevelopment last year, reflected Smith’s involvement in every room of every building.

With a nod to its namesake, the Gallery’s inaugural exhibition brings together various artists whose works comprise of architectural references, including remarkable mid-career New Zealand artists such as John Ward Knox and Jeremy Leatinu’u, recent graduates such as Claudia Dunes, and also those artists like Samer Hatam and Julia Teale who’ve settled in the eastern suburbs of Auckland from as far and wide as Iraq and South Africa. This exhibition, however, focuses not on architects or buildings; instead, it brings together artists whose use of, and for architecture, is rather subtle. Some artists bring viewers to a discreet awareness of the spatio-temporal properties inherent in a site, whereas others explore the social missions of our built environments. The exhibition is concerned with those artworks which are deceptive in their restraint, but where apparent simplicity or lightness of touch belies the works’ rigour. How can our encounter with art under the curfew of architecture lend itself to conscious living? How can the Malcolm Smith Gallery lend itself as a ritual space for conscious communities?

An emboldened vision accompanies the redevelopment of UXBRIDGE, as Malcolm Smith Gallery seeks synergies between the local and the global. Harnessing a belief in the transformative power of art, and through a range of contemporary art exhibitions which inspire and challenge its audiences, the Gallery will strive to encourage dialogue, foster creativity, and explore meaningful new ideas with insight, imagination, and intelligence. In the Howick Ward, where the gallery is located, close to 40% of the total population identify with an Asian ethnic identity. As a location with one of the highest numbers of Asian peoples in New Zealand, Malcolm Smith Gallery aims to connect to a wide network of art institutions, practitioners and audiences around the Asia-Pacific rim to show a leading example in shaping the success of Asian arts and cultural practices in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

The UXBRIDGE redevelopment is a major project for the Howick Local Board and its community. Having commenced 8 June 2015, Malcolm Smith Gallery will open alongside a new café, meeting rooms, and studios as part of the first stage in the redevelopment, with the theatre scheduled to re-open late 2016.

The Gallery is principally funded by Auckland Council through the Howick Local Board, and is committed to working with the Board to help it meet the objectives of its annual and long-term Toi Whītiki Arts and Culture Strategic Action Plan. The Gallery also seeks external funding through governmental, civic or charitable bodies, individual patronage, or through sponsorship as appropriate for specific projects. If you would like to add your name to a long list of remarkable individuals and patrons associated with Malcolm Smith Gallery, contact exhibitions@uxbridge.org.nz