About the Project

Colin McCahon, House for Titirangi, 1955.  Exhibited at the  Group Show, Durham Street Gallery, Christchurch.

The McCahon House Trust was set up to preserve the small house in French Bay where the artist and his family lived and to establish a residency in his honour.

Here you can learn about the activities of the Trust, including the restoration of the house and the conditions of the artist's residency, and also explore through text and images the vivid and powerful work—much of it directly stimulated by his immediate environment of beach and bush—that McCahon created during this vital period.

RECENT NEWS:

The McCahon House Trust call for applications for the McCahon House Artist's Residency Programme opens on 14 May 2010. Applications close Monday 9 August 2010.

Three residencies are available between March 2011 and March 2012 and will be offered to artists who have already received critical acclaim.

Applications are available here.

Martin Basher is now two months into th e residency. An Open Studio will be held at the residence on Saturday 12 June between 11am and 3pm. Come and meet Martin and few a selection of the work produced during his residency.

Almost 6,000 visitors, special interest and school groups have now been through the restored house since it was opened to the public in late 2006. The bush and birdlife, the simplicity of the cottage and the stories around it continue to inspire people and the docent guides have welcomed back a large number of return visitors. If you would like to organise a special tour outside of visiting hours, contact Chris McBride on (09) 817 8087 x203 or at mccahon@lopdell.org.nz 

EVE ARMSTRONG

The Trust was pleased to welcome Eve Armstrong to French Bay for autumn 2009. She had to acclimatise to the sudden and unexpected noise of cones exploding on the roof, which is part and parcel of living under kauri trees during the annual leaf fall.

Eve, who was recognised by the Arts Foundation as a New Generation artist in 2006, is an artist who doesn't see the sense in using new materials in her work. Instead she integrates found objects and ideas into her making. Some of you may have seen her work at Michael Lett's stand at the Auckland Art Fair last year. 

Eve was newly arrived from England and we are very grateful again to have received the support of NZ Discount Car Rentals in sponsoring a car for her during her stay.  Like Richard Lewer, Eve showed her work in the studio itself at the end of her residency which gave a rare opportunity for visitors to come out and see the both restored house and the residency, along with some amazing art.

LUISE FONG

Urbanite Luise Fong spent her time at the residency learning how to 'talk tree' She produced some very beautiful atmospheric works which were a response to the textures and colours of the kauri around her in the tree house residency. Her post residency exhibition opened at Lopdell House gallery, and runs through to the 13th of April 2009.

RICHARD LEWER

Artist Richard Lewer arrived from the slightly warmer climes of Melbourne and found it quite a change to be living in the Waitakere rainforests. His visual pallette went from reds, yellows and ochres to 'dark, dark, dark'. He worked directly on to the walls of the studio, so we held his post residency exhibition in the residency itself. It was a great success and over 400 people took the opportunity to see his work in the studio and to visit the McCahon House. Richard is the current paramount prize winner of the 2008 Wallace Awards.  Richard's award will take him to the ISCP programme for a 6 month residency in New York. 

Mike Vinsen Motors very kindly sponsored a car for Richard during his three month stay.

NZIA AWARDS

The McCahon House, in conjunction with the restoration architect Graeme Burgess of Burgess and Treep and the interpretative display architect Rick Pearson of Pearson and Associates, won a regional NZIA award and a Resene Colour award in 2008. The Institute made particular mention of the pea green kitchen and the ox blood weather boards which are part of a McCahon palette of colours developed by Aalto Paints.   

Bill Hammond has designed for the Trust, in support of the project, a limited edition lithographic print inspired by the work of McCahon. The edition of 100 prints has been printed by Paper Graphica in Christchurch. Printed on 250gm BFK Rives paper, the 575mm x 430mm prints are unframed.

The Trust has recently decided to make a limited number available to the public for a short time at the price of $3,000.00. There is a discount available to Benefactors and Friends.

Contact Chris McBride on (09) 817 8087x203 or at mccahon@lopdell.org.nz while these offers last. 

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