Hawke's Bay's Art Gallery and Museum

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 130, 18 June 1937, Page 7

Hawke's Bay's Art Gallery and Museum

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■RESTAT.T.

Sir, — May I through your columns place before your readers Ihe needs of tho Hawko 's Bay Museum. A scheme is now being launched which has boen used with great success by museums in .England. It will be known as tho "Priends of the Hawke's Bay Museum " There are many people in the district who realiso that in the Hawke's Bay Museum there is the beginning of a valuable education al asset. They desiro to see the work progress, but they aro not able to take an active part in our activities. We ajppeal to them to become a "Friend" of the museum, or in other words an annual subscribcr. The amount of the subscription is left cntirely for each member to decide for hiimself. One such scheme of "Friends" at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, which I investigated, haa a large number of subscribers rauging from 2/6 to £100. The money subscribed will enable the management coxnmittee to extend its work to the ultimate benefit of the whole East Coast district. and also to establish a fund for the purchaso, where necessary, of further oxhibits. Most particularly do we hope before long to prepare loan collections fot cireulation among the schoole. The public of Hawke's Bay provided the original building; the Carnegie . Corporation extended dt for us; it also provided a fund for equipment, and n reference library on art which is now uvailable to the public. The collections are growing rapidiy, over 1500 frosh exhibits having come in since opening. The Napier Borough Council has pro* mised an annual grant, which will provide for maintenance and "housekeeping. ' ' All this is provided froo of charge to the public. If, however, we are to progress as we hope to do, and ultimately give a proper museum service to cover the East Coaet district, it will bo necessary to have a much larger incomc than at present. Any one willing to join us should communieate with the secretary, Mr C. D. Wilsou, Box 78, Napier, or with me, stating how much he or she is j>repared to subscribo. What about joining us? — Yours, etc.,

Director H.B. Art Gallery and Museum. Napier, June 17, 1937.