Arty facts

The work by Harry Pattle. Photo by Jim Sullivan.

Pattle painting

Dunedin historian Jim Sullivan has illuminated the history of an Otago Peninsula artwork.

A painting of a sailing ship by a certain Harry Pattle has graced the hallway to the Portobello Hotel gents toilets for as long as anyone can remember.

One of the pub's regulars recently asked Mr Sullivan who this painter was and where the painting came from.

It turns out Pattle's ship painting has graced the hallway to the gents since it was bought by then publican George Walters in 1927.

Pattle was born in 1846 and active in the Otago Art Society, selling his painting The Flood Tide for eight guineas (about $1000 in 2009 money) in the 1907 exhibition.

Two of his landscapes, Lake Wanaka (1905) and Cottages on the Cliff (1909), are held in the Hocken Collections at the University of Otago.

Mr Sullivan reports that renovations are planned at the Portobello Hotel and the old sailing ship may be reberthed in a more prominent part of the bar.

Hotere works for auction
A collection of archival works by Careys Bay artist Ralph Hotere is to be auctioned in Auckland next week.

"This Land" is a collection of 60 works created by the artist between 1957 and 1968.

Many were painted during his stay in London and France in the early 1960s and have never been seen in public before.

The paintings include monoprints, protest-related works, graphic nudes, abstracts and large canvases.

The "This Land" works are being auctioned at Art and Object in Auckland at 6.30pm next Thursday.

Focus on NZ composers
The University of Otago music department presents a concert of music by New Zealand composers in Marama Hall this weekend.

A feature of the concert is the premiere of a new piano trio, Schemata, by 2009 Mozart Fellow Chris Watson.

The trio will be performed by Tessa Petersen, Jono Squire and John Van Buskirk.

A piece for euphonium and piano by Dunedin composer Peter Adams, Eloge, will be played by Errol Moore and John Van Buskirk.

Pianist Tom McGrath also makes an appearance, playing Anthony Ritchie's Piano Sonata 1988, a work completed while he was also Mozart Fellow.

Guitarist Suzanne Court will round out the programme, performing music by Lilburn, Farquahar and Ritchie.

The concert starts at 3pm on Sunday in Marama Hall.

Dance meeting
Dance Aotearoa New Zealand executive director Tania Kopytko will speak at a South Island Dance Network community meeting in Dunedin tomorrow.

The meeting is being held to bring together the local dance community and share ideas following the recent relaunch of the South Island Dance Network.

The meeting will be held from midday to 1pm tomorrow at University of Otago Dance Studies, Room 101, 2nd floor, old physical education building, 665 Cumberland St, behind the Otago Museum.

For further information, contact karin@thebody.co.nz