{{Short description|Art school at the University of Canterbury}} {{For|the Auckland school|Elam School of Fine Arts}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=February 2024}}
The '''Ilam School of Fine Arts'''{{clarify|date=May 2025|reason=when was name chsnged!}} at the University of Canterbury, located in the Ilam suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, was founded in 1882 as the '''Canterbury College School of Art'''.
The school became a full department of the university in the 1950s, and was the first department to move to the suburban Ilam site in 1957, in the Okeover Homestead. Art history was included in 1974, and the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree was introduced in 1982. {{toc limit|3}}
==History== In its original rendition, the school was modelled on the late-Victorian-era Arts and Crafts movement in Britain, centred in London's National Art Training School in South Kensington. Its mission was to give instruction focussing on the "arts and crafts" and their "practical application to the requirements of trade and manufactures.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=18 May 1982 |title=School's century of art teaching documented |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19820518.2.124.1 |access-date=5 September 2024 |work=The Press (Christchurch) |pages=26}}</ref>
By 1884, student artworks of sufficient quality to being shown at the Wellington Art Society's Annual Exhibition in the company of J C Richmond, John Gully and C D Barraud<ref>{{Cite news |date=25 June 1884 |title=Art Exhibition Wellington |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TS18840625.2.22.3?end_date=31-12-1884&items_per_page=10&query=%22Art+Exhibition+Wellington%22&snippet=true&start_date=01-01-1882 |access-date=5 September 2024 |work=Christchurch Star |pages=3}}</ref> and two years later as part of an exhibition of Colonial art in the Royal Albert Hall, London.<ref>{{Cite news |date=25 August 1886 |title=New Zealand Art Work |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TS18860825.2.13 |access-date=5 September 2024 |work=Christchurch Star |pages=3}}</ref>
By 1912, the college had 365 attending students although as reporters pointed out many of them were doing classes normally provided by technical colleges.<ref>{{Cite news |date=5 October 1912 |title=Technical Colleges |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19121005.2.40 |access-date=5 September 2024 |work=The Press (Christchurch) |pages=7}}</ref> In 1920, the New Zealand painter and past student of the school Archibald Nicholl was appointed and would remain head of school to 1927.<ref>{{Cite news |date=23 December 1919 |title=School Of Art |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/SUNCH19191223.2.28 |access-date=5 September 2024 |work=Sun (Christchurch) |pages=4}}</ref> Along with David Blair, previous heads of the school were: G.H. Elliott and R. Herdman Smith. Nicholl was followed by R. Wallwork (1927–1945).<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 April 1955 |title=Obituary |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19550415.2.131 |work=The Press (Christchurch) |pages=14}}</ref>
Initially, the school was based in the Girls High School building on the corner of Rolleston Avenue and Hereford Street, now part of The Art Centre after Girl's High moved to Cranmer Square.<ref name=":0" /> However, in 1929, a standalone site on the corner of Gloucester and Montreal Streets was purchased.<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 December 1929 |title=Canterbury College Board Buys Site for School of Art |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TS19291218.2.135 |work=Star (Christchurch) |pages=13}}</ref> In 1957, the art school was the first faculty of the university to move to Ilam where it was situated in Oakover House on the Ilam campus.<ref>{{Cite web |title=School of Art 1878 |url=https://www.artscentre.org.nz/about-us/history/ |access-date=8 September 2024}}</ref>
The following years, John Simpson was appointed senior lecturer and in 1961, aged 38, was made first professor of fine arts at the School of Art Canterbury University.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 1961 |title=School of Art Professor Mr H. J. Simpson Appointed |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19610320.2.174 |access-date=8 September 2024 |work=The Press (Christchurch) |pages=18}}</ref> Simpson headed the school for nearly thirty years, retiring in 1990.<ref>{{Cite web |title=John Simpson |url=https://christchurchartgallery.org.nz/bulletin/195/john-simpson |access-date=8 September 2024}}</ref> During his time as head of school, he oversaw its relocation on the Ilam campus in 1979 in what would be its first purpose-built structure.<ref name=":0" /> He also introduced graphic design in 1963 <ref>{{Cite news |date=14 June 1963 |title=Students Visit 'The Press ' |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19630614.2.158 |access-date=8 September 2024 |work=The Press (Christchurch) |pages=13}}</ref> and film in 1966<ref>{{Cite news |date=12 March 1966 |title=University Films |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19660312.2.231 |access-date=8 September 2024 |work=The Press (Christchurch) |pages=20}}</ref> as subjects. Art history was included in 1974, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree introduced in 1982 and art theory available as a subject from 1985.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hanton |first=Jamie |date=14 November 2007 |title=Art School Reunion |work=The Press (Christchurch)}}</ref>
In 1991, the School of Fine Arts celebrated its Māori students, past and present, with an exhibition ''He Tol Tutanga Na Ngaa Toa O Te WhareWaananga O Waltaha''. One of the earliest Māori artists to attend Ilam was Buck Nin (Ngati Raukawa),<ref>{{Cite news |last=McAloon |first=William |date=25 July 1991 |title=Exhibition of Past and Present Māori students |work=The Press (Christchurch)}}</ref> who trained under Rudi Gopas and gained a Diploma of Fine Arts from Ilam in 1966 becoming the first Māori to graduate from the school.<ref name=":0" />
Other Māori students who have graduated from the school include: Matt Pine 1962,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Matt Pine |url=https://christchurchartgallery.org.nz/blog/note/2021/09/matt-pine-1941-2021 |access-date=9 September 2024}}</ref> Gavin Bishop (Waikato, Ngati Awa) 1964–1968, Jonathan Mane-Wheoki [Nga Puhi] 1966–1969, Eruera (Ted) Te Whiti Nia 1970–1973,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eruera Te Whiti Nia |url=https://publicart.nz/artists/eruera-te-whiti-nia |access-date=9 September 2024}}</ref> Kura Te Waru-Rewiri (Nga Puhi) 1970–1973, Shane Cotton (Nga Puhi) 1985–1988, Peter Robinson (Kai Tahu) 1985–1988, Chris Heaphy (Ngai Tahu) 1987–1990, Darryn George [Ngapuhi) 198–1991 and John Walsh Aitanga a Hauiti/ New Zealand Irish 1973–1974.{{citation needed |date=January 2025}}
== Staff == Since its inception, the staff of the school has largely been drawn from practising artists, many of whom were students at the school themselves. They have included: Archibald Nichol, Florence Atkins, Evelyn Page, Colin Lovell-Smith, Frances Shurrock, Cecil Kelly, Elizabeth Kelly, Sydney Lough Thompson, John Weeks, W.A. Sutton, Doris Lusk, Eileen Mayo, Tom Taylor, Rudi Gopas, Don Peebles, Maurice Askew, John Panting, Barry Cleavin, Quentin Macfarlane.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}
== Notable alumni == {{Alumni |date=May 2025}} <!---blue links only, with citations---> === Early-20th century === Rita Angus, Leonard Booth,<ref>{{Cite news |date=21 November 1956 |title=Henry Moore |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19561121.2.35 |access-date=9 September 2024 |work=The Press (Christchurch) |pages=7}}</ref> Grace Butler, William Baverstock, James Cook,<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 April 1933 |title=Art Magazines |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19330408.2.188.67.8 |access-date=9 September 2024 |work=New Zealand Herald |pages=9}}</ref> Rhona Haszard, Rata Lovell-Smith, Ngaio Marsh, Owen Merton, Raymond McIntyre, Evelyn Polson (Evelyn Page), Daisy Osborn, Flora Scales, Olivia Spencer-Bower, William Thomas Trethewey.<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 May 1982 |title=School's Century of Teaching Documented |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19820518.2.124.1 |access-date=9 September 2024 |work=The Press (Christchurch) |pages=26}}</ref>
=== 1920s to 1940s === Rita Angus, Kathleen Brown, Russell Clark, James Coe, Austen Deans, Margaret Frankel, Ivy Fife, Molly Macalister, Frances Rutherford, John Weeks, Toss Woolaston.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}
=== 1950s and 1960s === Philippa Blair, Philip Clairmont, John Coley, Barry Cleavin, Bill Culbert, Neil Dawson, Michael Dunn, Tony Fomison, Dick Frizzell, Roy Good, Gil Hanly, Patrick Hanly, Bill Hammond, Ronnie van Hout, Rosemary Johnson, Hamish Keith, Tom Kreisler, Vivian Lynn, Maria Olsen, Jonathan Mane-Wheoki, Quentin McFarlane, Trevor Moffat, Gaylene Preston, Philip Trusttum, Boyd Webb.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}
=== 1970s and 1980s === Bing Dawe, Denise Copeland, Seraphine Pick, Julia Morrison,{{citation needed|date=January 2025}} Vincent Ward,<ref name=nzscreen/> Ruth Watson,{{citation needed|date=January 2025}} Tim White.<ref name=nzscreen>{{cite web | title=Tim White |first=Costa |last=Botes| website=NZ On Screen | url=https://www.nzonscreen.com/profile/tim-white/biography | access-date=9 January 2025}}</ref>
=== 1990s to 2000s === Nina Oberg Humphries, Mahiriki Tangaroa.
== See also == * The Group, an art association started by former art students
== References == {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== * ''A History of the University of Canterbury 1873–1973'' by W.J. Gardner, E. T. Beardsley & T. E. Carter (Caxton Press, Christchurch, 1973)
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20100524124453/http://www.fina.canterbury.ac.nz/about.shtml ''About the School of Fine Arts'' (University of Canterbury website)] *[http://library.canterbury.ac.nz/mb/art/sch_finearts.shtml ''School of Fine Arts collection'' (University of Canterbury website)] *[http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz//tm/scholarly/tei-MosIllu-t1-body1-d3-d5.html The School of Art (from 1885 Guide to Christchurch)] {{University of Canterbury}} {{authority control}} {{coord|-43.524704|172.585471|region:NZ_type:edu|display=title}}
Category:1882 establishments in New Zealand Category:Art schools in New Zealand Category:Buildings and structures of the University of Canterbury Category:Universities and colleges established in 1882