TripAdvisor’s Affirmation of FGY Art Gallery CHCH as Christchurch’s Third-ranked Art Gallery
On 14 July, Fo Guang Yuan (FGY) Art Gallery CHCH was awarded the third-ranked art gallery in Christchurch by TripAdvisor, an international travel review website. In the ranking list, the first place went to the Christchurch Art Gallery (Te Puna o Waiwhetū), and the second place was the Christchurch Arts Centre, an art gallery established in 1878.
Christchurch is the art Capital of New Zealand. There are nearly 50 large and small art galleries here, each with its own characteristics. It is not easy to be ranked one of the top 20 galleries. Fo Guang Shan (FGS) Temples in Christchurch and Auckland have actively incorporated art galleries in their daily operations and have successfully integrated themselves into the local communities, thus fulfilling Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s insistence of propagating Buddhism through Art and Culture.
FGY Art Gallery CHCH is the 13th branch of Fo Guang Yuan (FGY) Art Galleries. It was established in 2007 when Fo Guang Shan (FGS) Christchurch was inaugurated. It is a gift from Master Hsing Yun to the people of Christchurch. Master Hsing Yun mobilises Art and Culture to propagate Buddhism. Through this method, local people will be able to experience the teachings of Humanistic Buddhism. The unique architectural features and green building concept of FGY Art Gallery CHCH have attracted much attention, and the interior design exudes an air of calmness and peacefulness. In 2007, FGY Art Gallery CHCH won the New Zealand Institute of Architects Supreme Award and the Green Building Civic Trust Awards. In 2021 and 2022, it was selected as one of the excellent buildings worth visiting in the Open Christchurch event. Within 2 days of the event, the Gallery had attracted thousands of people and had received high acclaims.
FGY Art Gallery CHCH has provided a platform for domestic and overseas artists to exhibit their works. Its list of past exhibitions included Master Hsing Yun’s “One-stroke Calligraphy Exhibition, Yao Hong Ying’s “Embroidery Exhibition", Li Zijian’s “Oil Painting Exhibition", “Firewood Pottery World Tour Exhibition", "Canterbury Embroidery Exhibition", Christchurch artist Suzy Abbott’s “Botanical Art Watercolour Exhibition”, New Zealand artist Dean Buchanan’s “Horizons Oil Painting Exhibition”, Christchurch artist Paul Deans’s “Contemplation, Thought Wood Sculpture Exhibition”, Korean artist Helena Kim Ju’s “Egg Sculpture Exhibition” , New Zealand artist Keith Morant’s "Ringing True Oil Painting" and "Songs for Remembrance” Exhibitions, as well as the recent "British Antique Car Pop-up Exhibition". Yao Hong-Ying's “Embroidery Exhibition” in 2009 had attracted tens of thousands of local visitors and had caused a sensation throughout Christchurch. From that time onwards, FGY Art Gallery CHCH has become an important local Art Gallery.
In January 2010, FGY Art Gallery CHCH launched the Friends of Fo Guang Yuan (FGY) to allow art enthusiasts to join and become friends of the Gallery. In just one year, it had successfully recruited more than 2,000 friends. Because the Temple building was damaged due to the earthquake in February 2011, it was forced to close for nearly 4 years, it was only reopened in 2016. Since then, the Gallery has continued to work hard in its recruitment exercise. To date, there are nearly 4,000 friends of FGY with close interactions with the Gallery. The Gallery also regularly organizes educational promotion activities such as "Face to Face with Artists", “Talks by Artists”, and “On-site Demonstrations by Artists”. Since its inception in 2010, more than 100 artists have joined as Friends of FGY and they often interact with one another. The management and operation of FGY Art Gallery CHCH is based on the guidelines set out in Humanistic Buddhism. The Gallery has successfully integrated itself into the local community. It has cultivated and produced a rich and diverse artistic arena; has integrated Buddhism with art; and has become a part of the local cultures, albeit with special characteristics.
Master Hsing Yun has led FGS Monasteries, both in Taiwan and Overseas, with his unique wisdom of promoting Buddhism through art and culture. Master Hsing Yun’s method has proven the penetrating power of art and culture. It has overcome physical barriers, such as race, language, nationality and age, to achieve spiritual harmony. This is another proof of the importance of adopting the right method in the purification of people's hearts.