This year's Claudia Jarman Memorial Lecture will be presented by Auckland Art Gallery director Rhana Devenport.

The annual lecture at Tauranga Art Gallery is a tribute to Claudia Jarman (1908-86), who was a celebrated art and art history teacher.

Arriving in Tauranga in 1939, she first taught at Tauranga District High School, and from 1958 at Tauranga Girls' College. Claudia was also involved in the Tauranga Repertory Society and, along with her husband Reginald, was a foundation member of the Tauranga Chamber Music Society and the Tauranga Art Society.

'She was an art educator with great passion, inspiring two generations of teenagers in the Bay of Plenty to practice and appreciate art,” says Tauranga Art Gallery marketing and media coordinator Martine Rolls-Pierhagen.

'A lot of people remember her, and come to this especially to honour her memory. So we expect a lot of people to turn up.”

Rhana will be talking about the installation by artist Lisa Reihana that was chosen for the New Zealand Pavilion for the 57th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, which closes on November 26.

'As the curator of ‘Lisa Reihana: Emissaries', Rhana will discuss the process, challenges, expectations and surprises associated with an ambitious international project of this scale and scope.”

The lecture is at 5.30pm on Thursday, November 30, at the Tauranga Art Gallery. Entry is $10, with people asked to call ahead and book.

For more information, visit www.artgallery.org.nz