The James Wallace Arts Trust

Groom and Bride (1991) by New Zealand artist Pat Hanly.

From City Scene, published on 29 March, 2009.

Prominent Auckland businessman James Wallace has been collecting art since the late 1960s. In 1992 he transferred his collection to the newly formed charitable trust and proceeded to fund the trust so that it could continue to add to the collection and support the arts in New Zealand in general.

The James Wallace Arts Trust Collection now contains more than 4500 pieces of contemporary New Zealand art worth an estimated $50 million.

As the trust became more established, as well as continuing to support emerging artists, it continued to acquire the work of artists as they matured, creating a "diary collection". Often gaps have been filled in by way of collaboration with the artist and his or her dealers.

As no works are ever sold, the body of works remains in its entirety as a cultural resource for present and future generations.

The trust includes the strongest collection of a number of New Zealand's most important artists, such as Toss Woollaston, Philip Trusttum and Eion Stevens.

The trust has also initiated over 70 commissions ranging from Pat Hanly stained glass windows to Terry Stringer sculptures. Mr Wallace has a great love of architecture and is heartened to see one of the few great publicly owned mansions in New Zealand restored to house his collection. The collection will continue to be managed by the trust.

Mr Wallace is also responsible for the annual Wallace Art Awards, now the longest-surviving and richest annual art awards of their kind in Australasia.