Life Benefactor Dr John Mayo donates three significant New Zealand artworks to benefit Auckland Art Gallery Foundation’s Endowment Fund
Three historically significant New Zealand artworks from the personal collection of Dr John Mayo will be offered at Art+Object’s winter auction on Monday 19 August, with all proceeds benefiting the Auckland Art Gallery Foundation’s Endowment Fund.
The works – Colin McCahon’s A Waterfall (1965), Richard Killeen’s Man, Land and Sky (1968), and Don Binney’s Te Henga (1968) – were originally purchased in the 1960s by Mayo’s late wife, Marylyn, one of the first women to graduate from Auckland Law School.
‘She had the great foresight to buy at a time when Killeen and Binney were not well known. They were just getting established when she bought them,’ said Dr Mayo, a Life Benefactor of the Auckland Art Gallery Foundation.
Artworks with special significance
Each piece carries unique importance to New Zealand’s art history:
- The Binney painting is the smaller companion to a work in Auckland Art Gallery’s collection. Binney depicted the fern bird several times across his career.
- The McCahon waterfall work demonstrates the artist’s experimental technique, with sawdust mixed into the paint to create texture – a method that would influence later works.
- The Killeen piece showcases techniques from the late 1960s that laid the foundation for his revolutionary cut-out works.
New model for Gallery support
This generous donation exemplifies a new model for supporting the Gallery. Penny Dever, Foundation Manager, explains: ‘Donors can now help us by gifting artworks that are first offered to the Gallery collection. If the works don’t meet the criteria set out in the Gallery’s acquisition policy, they can then be offered to the Foundation for sale, with the proceeds benefiting the Gallery.’
Foundation partnership
The Mayo donation anchors a special Foundation section within Art+Object’s winter auction of Important Paintings and Contemporary Art. Additional works by Max Gimblett, Fiona Pardington and others will also be on offer.
‘Art+Object is delighted to partner with the Auckland Art Gallery Foundation in this initiative, assisting with raising funds for the Foundation’s Endowment Fund,’ says Leigh Melville, Managing Director of Art+Object.
The Mayo legacy
John and Marylyn Mayo’s support for Auckland Art Gallery extends beyond this donation. As Life Benefactors, the Marylyn and John Mayo Members Lounge at the Gallery is named for them. Their philanthropy also includes the Mayo Internship programme and a chair at Auckland Law School.
Auction details
- What: Art+Object winter auction of Important Paintings and Contemporary Art
- When: Monday 19 August at 6pm
- Where: 3 Abbey Street, Auckland
- Public viewing: From Wednesday 13 August
- Special preview: Friday 15 August (Foundation members and Gallery supporters)
- Catalogue: Available from Monday 11 August
About Auckland Art Gallery Foundation
The Auckland Art Gallery Foundation supports New Zealand's premier art institution through fundraising initiatives that benefit Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki’s collection, exhibitions and educational programmes. The Foundation’s Endowment Fund provides ongoing support for the Gallery’s mission to share art with the community.