In 1981, Robin White wrote to Peter McLeavey to tell him that she and her husband were moving from Dunedin to the narrow atolls of Kiribati. McLeavey was supportive and enthusiastic, and in the 17 years that followed the artist and her art dealer sent letters, artworks, and payments back and forth between Kiribati and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Join us for this talk and special after-hours viewing of Robin White: Something is Happening Here. Olivia McLeavey and Courtney Johnston will delve into the letters exchanged by Robin White and Peter McLeavey – drawing out stories and discussing the special relationship between artist and art dealer.

Olivia McLeavey returned to Wellington in 2011 to take on the management of her dad’s eponymous gallery, as Peter McLeavey moved into semi-retirement. Robin White has exhibited her work with the McLeaveys since 1970.

Courtney Johnston is Tumu Whakarae | Chief Executive at Te Papa. A former art reviewer, arts correspondent for RNZ, and director of The Dowse Art Museum, she has been a frequent visitor to Peter McLeavey and McLeavey Gallery since moving to Wellington in 2000.

Caption

Ruha Fifita, Peter McLeavey, and Robin White. Photo courtesy of McLeavey Gallery