Tauranga has an art gallery to be proud of – one that is receiving praise from the art world – yet its trustees find they are continually fighting the council over funding issues.
'I get really frustrated about it to be honest,” says Tauranga Art Gallery Trust chairman Graeme Horsley.
'I think we are doing the best possible things we can do for that galley. We are getting tremendous credits from people.

Tauranga Art Gallery Trust chairman Graeme Horsley.

'We had a visiting professor talking about the Colin McCahon mural on Sunday. There were 50-odd people listening to his talk. One of the things he says when he starts is what a magnificent regional galley it is and that it's the best display of the McCahon mural he's ever seen,” says Graeme.
'Sarah Hillary from the Auckland Gallery said exactly the same when she came down, and Hamish Keith. Really the community should be proud of the gallery, we shouldn't be fighting all the time.
'I think I've been to every regional gallery in the country and I believe it is the best in New Zealand.”
Graeme was speaking after the council meeting this week, where councillors voted to further restrict art gallery funding.
The council has capped the gallery's operating costs at $847,000 for the next three years by removing a $30,000 inflation adjustment.
In the statement of intent the Art Gallery Trust, a council controlled organisation is required to make to council, the Trust signalled a reinstatement of the inflation adjustment for the 2013-14 year.
The councillors formerly requested it be removed this week.
The gallery, which this year broke even, has been making up the funding shortfall with grants from the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, but there is no guarantee that will continue.
'They said that it can be talked about in the Long Term City Council Plan in another two years time,” says Graeme.
'I think, from our point of view, us putting that in there was being responsible trustees and signalling that we had no surety of income from Western Bay past the 2012/13 year, therefore we must be facing a shortfall at that point in time.
'You want to be responsible and tell it as it is. We had to put that in.
'I don't think there is anything else we can do other than remind them of their duties. Their cultural obligations are laid out just like water, roading and parks are.”
The TAGT says the gallery falls under cultural well-being under the Local Government Act 2002, which requires councils to take on the task of promoting sustainable development including cultural well-being.
An amendment to the Local Government Act 2010 notes that councils contribute to core services including libraries, museums, reserves, recreational facilities and other community infrastructure. The TAGT trust says a public art gallery is core service and in a city without a museum it fulfils an important role.