The recent "Rediscover Elizabeth Stevens" exhibition at the Alexandra museum had highlighted the economic benefit of art exhibitions and uncovered previously unknown works by Stevens, Mr Watson said.
Following publicity from the exhibition — which was the biggest exhibition of works and the first since her death in 2009 — Central Stories had learnt of at least 30 other previously unknown works by Stevens, Mr Watson said.
The museum has also established an Elizabeth Stevens legacy fund, seeking donations to provide better care for Central Stories’ existing Stevens’ paintings and archives, and also help promote Stevens and her art "as a role model and exemplar to Central Otago students and artists."
More than $1000 had already been donated. The Stevens exhibition, and several other large exhibitions recently at Central Stories, had highlighted the economic benefit exhibitions had to the wider Central Otago region.
"From bed night counts of people we know visited the exhibition and other expenditure, we estimate this one exhibition, which lasted for 11 weeks, injected over $35,000 into the wider Central Otago economy.
"This is a very conservative estimate, using a reduced factor as typically applied by Statistics New Zealand and only counting the people we knew who visited Central either for the opening orspecifically to see the show while it was on."
Mr Watson stressed the economic projections were conservative, but said they showed the "significant reach" exhibitions had on many levels, both culturally and economically.
"People look at museums and galleries and say ‘we give them money’ [through rates, etc], but now we can actually say they [museums and galleries] are helping drive the local economy."
