When you think about the Friends, what first made you want to be involved? I grew up in a family where art, photography, design and volunteering were part of everyday life. Aigantighe was more than a place to visit it was part of our community and part of the way I came to understand creativity. I remember being 3 or 4, twirling around the floor at my dad Geoff Cloake's photography exhibition there, seeing my Student Artarama entries on the wall, and then being part of the Plunket Art shows. I enjoyed being a contributor to both what was on the walls and the community around them. I first joined the Friends many years ago in my early 20s. I was invited by Mark Oldfield, whom I used to babysit for. I have served as President for more than four years, Deputy President, and as Treasurer. 

What do you enjoy about being part of the Friends? It has been so much fun. I really love helping at openings; they have felt like parties celebrating with the artists their accomplishment of an exhibition. I have always looked forward to their speeches and floor talks. As a volunteer, serving wine and nibbles was a great way to meet and catch up with regular Friends members and the guests that our artists invite. Over the last 20-odd years, I have met so many interesting people, heard their stories and learned about how they see the world. Being a volunteer has been a special type of on-the-job learning, and while at the start I thought being a volunteer was all about what I could give, now on reflection I also realise it is about what I could get. Friendship. Through my background as an artist, musician, graphic and website designer, and marketer, I naturally gravitate towards communication, fundraising and projects that connect people with the gallery. I also helped build the Friends’ website with my father, Geoff Cloake. The website has become an archive of half of the Friends' life, and a place to share exhibitions, photographs and stories. The committee brings together people with very different skills and experiences. When those strengths are combined, a small group of volunteers can achieve an extraordinary amount to support our gallery team and the wider goal of celebrating the love of the arts in our community.

What do you value about Aigantighe Art Gallery? Aigantighe makes art accessible and gives South Canterbury a place for creativity, learning, memory and community. Aigantighe gives South Canterbury something incredibly special: free access to art in a nationally significant collection, presented within a historic home, a modern gallery and a sculpture garden. Art is important to communities because it helps us understand who we are, where we have come from and what matters to us. It preserves stories and experiences that might otherwise disappear. It can challenge us, comfort us, create conversation and help us see the world through somebody else’s eyes. Art also gives a place character and encourages creativity, builds confidence and creates opportunities for people to gather, participate and feel that they belong. A strong arts community makes a town more interesting to live in, more memorable to visit and more connected to its own identity. What I really love about the Aigantighe, though, is that you do not need to understand everything you see. Sometimes enjoying the way it looks is enough. Aigantighe makes space for that curiosity and connects art, architecture, landscape, memory and people in one remarkable place. The staff has always been amazing at curating the shows and sharing information to help us connect to the artists' work. 

Is there a Friends-supported project, activity or contribution that makes you feel especially proud? The Friends bring people, skills and care together to support the gallery and strengthen its legacy for future generations. I am proud of the Friends’ work to establish a permanent fund through the Aoraki Foundation. After 50 years of people volunteering, fundraising and supporting the gallery, creating something that can continue to grow felt like a meaningful way to honour that legacy and invest in the future. I am also proud of the projects that take art beyond the gallery walls, including the coastal walkway art history trail, the website and the photographic record of exhibitions and openings. These projects make art easier to find, enjoy and remember. As well as the physical projects, I supported projects to raise the profile of our public art sculptures with a free-to-do hunt and challenge, and championed a rock painting craze where a group of 5000 had fun through creativity. My personal mission is to help make things free, fun, and meaningful. The Friends supporting the Gallery team can do all three. 

What would you like more people to understand about the Friends? You do not need to be an artist, an academic or an art expert to become a Friend. The Friends committee and membership are made up of a wide range of people who have a common goal: to support the gallery staff and arts in the community. There are many ways to contribute. You might attend an event, become a member, make a donation, help with a project, or simply encourage someone else to visit. Every connection helps keep the gallery active, accessible and firmly connected to its community.

Finish this sentence: “I am part of the Friends because…” …I believe art helps people see differently, preserve stories and remember. The Friends gives me a community to connect with; it is a special group of people and gives me a sense of belonging. Art and a building are a gallery. But it is the people, the staff, volunteers, artists and visitors who make the Aigantighe feel like home.