RHANA DEVENPORT - DIRECTOR
Rhana's role is to manage the Govett-Brewster in accordance with the New Plymouth District Council’s strategy, policy and objectives to meet customer expectations as determined in the Long Term Community Plan. Key responsibilities include leadership, strategic development and management; programme development and delivery; communication, professional and political advice; and financial and human resources management. Curated exhibitions include New Nature 2007, Lisa Reihana: Digital Marae 2007, Lee Mingwei: Uncommon Senses 2009, Peter Robinson: Snow Ball Blind Time 2008, China in Four Seasons 2009-2010, Alex Monteith: Accelerated Geographies 2010 and Stealing the Senses 2011.
rhanad@govettbrewster.com ddi +64 6 759 0856
HELEN TELFORD - ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Helen's position is to manage programme delivery including exhibitions, public programmes (including education services) as well as ensuring the care and development of the Gallery’s collection to meet levels of service identified in the Council’s Community Plan. The role involves supporting the Director at an operational level and to act as Director in their absence. Helen is responsible for budgets, quarterly and annual reporting and for contracts, associated documentation and accountability reports. With 30 years experience in the New Zealand art museum sector, Helen enjoys the international reach of the Govett-Brewster and within her role providing a platform for art and artists. Locally she appreciates supporting the Friends of the Gallery and their many and varied activities.
helent@govettbrewster.com ddi +64 6 759 0851
BRONWYN VAN'T HOF - FOUNDATION DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
Bronwyn's role is to provide personal assistance support to the Director of Govett-Brewster Art Gallery and executive support in meeting Govett-Brewster Foundation and development obligations. Bronwyn also assists with building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders and partners of the Govett-Brewster.
bronwynv@govettbrewster.com ddi +64 6 759 0850
CHRIS BARRY - EDUCATION CO-ORDINATOR
Chris oversees the day-to-day management of the Govett-Brewster’s current Ministry of Education funded Learning Experiences Outside the Classroom (LEOTC) programme and has fun designing and implementing education programmes for all levels of students, the majority currently being used by primary school students and teachers. Chris also helps design and implement school holiday programmes and co-ordinates a weekly out-of-school-hours art programme for senior primary students. He advises educational groups and teachers about the resources, programmes and events available at the Govett-Brewster.
chrisb@govettbrewster.com ddi +64 6 759 0858
REBECCA FAWKNER-EGLI - EDUCATION OFFICER
Rebecca works mainly within the Learning Experiences Outside the Classroom (LEOTC) programme funded by the Ministry of Education, designing and implementing Govett-Brewster education programmes for pre-school to tertiary students. Rececca helps young people learn very useful and cool stuff from some times ‘out there’ contemporary art. Primary school students and teachers are the most frequent education visitors but students come from all types of schools and have very different reasons for immersing themselves in the world of art. As a part of the education team Rebecca also helps design and run hands-on art making workshops every school holidays.
rebeccaf@govettbrewster.com ddi +64 6 759 0858
MERCEDES VICENTE - CURATOR CONTEMPORARY ART
Previously, Mercedes was an independent curator and art critic living in New York where she held curatorial positions in several art institutions. Mercedes has curated exhibitions at the Govett-Brewster including From Mini-FM to Hacktivists: A guide to Art and Activism (2005); Darcy Lange: Study of artist at work (2006), Activating Korea: Tides of Collective Action (2007), Amar Kanwar (2008), Photo hiStories: Mark Adams, Bruce Connew, John Miller (2009) and Points of Contact: Jim Allen, Len Lye, Hélio Oiticica (2010) and a series of exhibitions on New Zealand 1970s video artist Darcy Lange in partnership with international institutions. She is contributing editor of a Darcy Lange publication and has written for exhibition catalogues and contributes regularly to art journals.
mercedesv@govettbrewster.com ddi +64 6 759 0855
TYLER CANN - LEN LYE CURATOR-AT-LARGE
Tyler Cann now holds a dual role - Len Lye Curator-at-large, Govett-Brewster Art Gallery,
and Museum Curator, IKON Gallery in Birmingham. Tyler has lectured on and curated many exhibitions of Len Lye's work during his six years at the Govett-Brewster. He recently curated exhibitions of Lye's work for the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Melbourne, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, the Centre Pompidou, Paris, and in 2010, he co-curated Len Lye: The Body Electric at IKON Gallery. Tyler curated Len Lye: All Souls Carnival, the largest retrospective of Lye's work presented to date at the Govett-Brewster, 10 September - 29 November 2011.
tylerc@govettbrewster.com
PAUL BROBBEL - ASSISTANT LEN LYE CURATOR
Paul’s role is to support the Len Lye Curator-at Large, Tyler Cann, with development and delivery of Len Lye exhibitions along with caring for the Len Lye Collection. Paul’s work with the collection involves cataloguing, digitisation and research in addition to supervising the access to the collection for researchers and facilitating loans of Len Lye’s works to other galleries and institutions. Previously Paul was Assistant Collection Manager (Photography) at Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand.
paulb@govettbrewster.com ddi +64 6 759 6713
MEREDITH ROBERTSHAWE - ASSISTANT CURATOR EXHIBITIONS AND PUBLIC PROGRAMMES
Meredith's role is to provide curatorial and organisational support for exhibitions; liaising with artists, curators and Govett-Brewster staff to achieve the Gallery’s exhibitions from concept to installation. She also organises and facilitates the public programmes that sit alongside the exhibitions; highlights have been a Chinese cooking class and guerrilla knitting events for China in four seasons: Song Dong + Yin Xiuzhen, the 48-minute Film Festival for Alex Monteith: Accelerated Geographies and, with NPDC Sustainable Transport support, the New Plymouth event for International PARK(ing) Day, which saw Queen Street taken over with artists’ projects and discussions of urban design and street space.
meredithr@govettbrewster.com ddi +64 6 759 2564
FELICITY CONNELL - MANAGER COMMUNICATION AND EXPERIENCE
Felicity Connell is the Manager of Communication and Experience at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery. She works with Kelly Loney on the communications and marketing for the gallery, as well as Kirsten Petersen and her team of Information and Customer Services Officers to ensure positive experiences for gallery visitors. Felicity’s role also includes working with the sponsors and partners who support the Govett-Brewster.
Before joining the Govett-Brewster in February 2011, Felicity worked as part of the Commerce Commission’s communication team for four years and as a project manager for the British Council New Zealand for seven years. Felicity has worked as a freelance publicist and producer in Wellington, with clients in theatre, dance, comedy and film.
felicityc@govettbrewster.com ddi +64 759 0853
KIRSTEN PETERSEN - TEAM LEADER CUSTOMER SERVICES
Kirsten’s primary role is to ensure delivery of a dynamic and integrated visitor experience for the Govett-Brewster 364 days a year including public programmes and commercial operations. Her job is to also coordinate successful operation of the Govett-Brewster's Art and Design Shop and ensure Gallery security systems and procedures are effective at all times.
kirstenp@govettbrewster.com ddi +64 6 759 0852
KELLY WELLS - COMMUNICATIONS CO-ORDINATOR
Kelly’s primary role is to interest local, national and world-wide media in the myriad exhibitions and activities at the Govett-Brewster. Her job involves media relations, as well as marketing the Govett-Brewster through advertising and promotions. Kelly also co-ordinates the Govett-Brewster's website. From a journalism and news reporting background, Kelly has worked in various media from newspapers, magazines to television.
kellyw@govettbrewster.com ddi +64 6 759 6717
REBECCA WANT - ADMINISTRATION OFFICER
Rebecca provides administrative services to ensure the smooth and effective functioning of the Gallery. Excellent time managementand organisational
skills are an essential requirement of this role. It is an enjoyable and exciting job that deals with a diverse range of people and always presents new challenges.
Tasks include liaising with external contractors; maintaining and updating databases and the Govett-Brewster filing system; organising travel and accommodation for staff and visitors; and coordinating the Govett-Brewster's financial obligations. This position demands the abilities to multi-task, work methodically and perform well under pressure.
rebbecaw@govettbrewster.com ddi +64 6 759 0854
KELLY MCCOSH - REGISTRAR
Kelly’s role is to carry out all procedures associated with the care, receipt and dispatch of art works from the permanent and loan collections and works on loan for exhibition, ensuring that the collection database is maintained accurately to provide correct research and registration information. Kelly overseas all loan documentation, freight and insurance arrangements of the art works. She arranges the photography of artworks for collection record; prepares condition reports of artworks; processes loan applications; and facilitates photography and copyright requests, incoming and outgoing.
kellym@govettbrewster.com ddi +64 6 759 6716
BRYAN JAMES - EXHIBITIONS CO-ORDINATOR / PHOTOGRAPHER
Bryan's position overseas the general exhibition management and planning of the Govett-Brewster. His role includes liaising with contractors; artists and curators; procurement of equipment and materials; recruitment, training and coordination of the exhibition changeover team; crating design packaging and transportation of artworks and photography production for publications, publicity and records.
bryanj@govettbrewster.com ddi +64 6 759 0857
KEVIN CASTLE - EXHIBITION INSTALLATION TEAM MEMBER
Kevin's role is to help manage and support exhibition installation; carpentry and maintenance; packing and freight; equipment use; painting; housekeeping; and health and safety procedures. Kevin manages the Govett-Brewster's workshop and materials.
Ph +64 6 759 6060
Govett-Brewster Art Gallery
Private Bag 2025