When they next give out civic awards, former Queenstown Arts Society (QAS) president Diane Hart deserves a gong.
And sisters-in-law Annika Grant and Tineke Enright, who run Frankton’s Country Lane, deserve best supporting act awards.
The trio successfully fought to save the historic former high school building on Stanley St — latterly the Queenstown Arts Centre — from demolition so it could enjoy a new life at the retail village opposite the Events Centre.
Having been lovingly refurbished, the renamed School House Studios opens with nine arts-related tenancies on March 7.
Hart says it was "an absolute mission" to save the beautiful 1941 wooden building so, unlike the neighbouring QPACT building, also part of the old high school, it wasn’t also demolished.
"It definitely was a very long-term mission with obstacles right from day one.
"It definitely seemed it was about to be demolished — it looked as though there was no chance at all, right up until the very end."
"And then, we thought, Country Lane would be the perfect place.
"Tineke was taming a horse when I phoned and said ‘hey, would you be interested?"’
Enright says she went in with her brother-in-law Bruce Grant and measured it, "and we were relieved it actually fits perfectly".
"We always knew we were going to put something behind the [former Queenstown Motor Park] cabins, which always looked ugly, seeing their backsides."
Council, which wanted the Stanley St land for parking, short-term, and a civic centre long-term, then voted to remove the building from its strategic assets register, meaning it could be moved — or demolished.
About 300 submissions were received, many drummed up by Hart — most favoured its retention and removal to Country Lane.
Country Lane successfully tendered for it, but then waited, and waited.
In April ’23, Enright told Mountain Scene: "We sort of get the feeling they’re sort of wanting to backtrack, and we’re really frightened they’re just going to demolish it, that’s my suspicion."
Grant says "there were at least two times where they put everything on hold, it’s like ‘we’ve got this issue’, ‘we’ve got this issue"’.
Hart says mayors Jim Boult and Glyn Lewers were supportive, "it’s just bureaucracy that got in the way all the time".
They finally got the nod, though, and in June last year the trio watched the building — cut in two, but minus the lean-to — being trucked to Country Lane in two early morning trips.
"It’s a miracle we got it," Hart says, "but I believe in miracles."
Since then, Tahuna Building, supported by FB Painting, has done a great job bringing the school house back to life, undeterred by crooked ceilings and other issues, while also building a replica lean-to.
Grant: "We’ve been hoping it’s a lot more lovely than the arts centre used to be, it sort of flows a little bit more with the central hallway."
All tenants bar one have their own exterior door, while each can hang artwork in the hallway outside their studio.
The original building’s rimu flooring’s been reused, and the lean-to has similar flooring from another building.
"The windows are the glory of the building," Enright suggests.
"It’s great there’s no direct sunlight on the walls, but it’s super-bright," Grant adds.
The pair say a number of tenants are co-sharing their premises, meaning there’s more chance visitors to the studios will see artists at work.
- Former students who were schooled in the building are being invited to the School House Studios’ public opening celebrations for a photo in front of it — probably on March 8, at 11am. To register, email Annika@countrylane.nz
Family of nine
School House Studios opens March 7 with nine tenancies:
- Art Adventures NZ — Raquel Carter offering guided art adventures and running weekly art classes
- JW Studio — Jessica Winchcombe’s multimedia studio
- Kaela Studio — Paola Agrelo’s creative space
- Kadia Hebda Studio — multi-disciplinary artist, art conservator and graphic designer offering workshops and courses
- Saturday Ceramics — Connie Jones’ pottery studio
- Spellbound Art Studio: Gabrielle Coppola creating avant-garde artworks
- The Arts Hole — Tom Roberts and Chani Caulfield’s urban, contemporary gallery
- The Bead Shop & Yama Yoga — operated by Renee Jessup-Ricketts, with multiple daily yoga classes
- TIKKI Studio — Nina Chen’s sewing and creative space.
