The One Tree Hill College Art Collection was started in 1969 with funds from student pies. Newly appointed principal, Murray Print, allowed the head of art, Wallace Crossman, to use tuck shop profits to purchase works of art to decorate the school halls and offices. Beginning with an oil painting from Robert Ellis’ Motorway series, the collection has since grown into a world-class collection containing examples of some of Aotearoa’s most cherished artists including Colin McCahon, Ralph Hotere, Gordon Walters, Gretchen Albrecht, Pat Hanly, Toss Woollaston, John Pule and Stanley Palmer, as well as holding noteworthy ceramics, textiles and taonga. Described as an experiment in art education, the collection remains an important part of the college’s unique identity and an ongoing source of inspiration and creativity for its students.
This collection presents Wallace Crossman’s own work from the collection alongside distinctive examples from Sandy Adsett, Robin White and Haare Williams, four artists significant for their contributions to both art and education in Aotearoa. Sandy Adsett is recognized for his contribution to art education and the Maori community, helping to introduce the Maori Arts in Schools program for the first time; painter and printmaker Robin White spent over a decade in the Republic of Kiribati and continues to engage and collaborate with Pacific artists and practices; Haare Williams is known for his contributions to education and Maori broadcasting, while he remains a celebrated poet, writer, artist and composer of Maori songs.
Image: Robin White, Paremata Landscape (detail), 1969