An unprecedented and incredibly special opportunity to view original McCahon’s inside his 1950’s French Bay home.
August 1 marks 100 years since Colin McCahon’s birth. To launch the McCahon100 centenary year you are invited to the open home of his 1950’s house in French Bay. A narrated bus tour will run regularly between Auckland Art Gallery and the Titirangi House Museum, a route travelled by McCahon over the seven years he lived in French Bay and worked in the gallery. Walking tours of the French Bay area will offer an art historical perspective of the forested landscape walked and painted by the artist.
The bus trip will take approximately 45 minutes each way, and will be narrated by one of two guides:
Sir Bob Harvey: former mayor of Waitakere City and patron of McCahon House. Sir Bob shared the original bus commute with the artist on numerous occasions.
Ron Brownson: senior curator at Auckland Art Gallery, specialising in contemporary New Zealand Art.
Paintings made by McCahon with obvious influence from the local landscape, will be displayed in the house museum for the first time since their creation.
The Artist Residency, Parehuia, ordinarily a private space for artists-in-residence, will be open for public viewing where “McCahon styIe” light refreshments - sherry and rock cakes - will be served.
'A Place to Paint: Colin McCahon in Auckland' will also be on at the Auckland Art Gallery. The exhibition looks at McCahon's longstanding relationship with Auckland. We especially encourage those of you catching the bus to view this show.
Bookings for the bus trip are essential
$2 per hour to a max of $12 on weekends and a $12 flat rate for weekday evenings at The Civic car park. Find out more.