Whitecliffe Art – Where it all began and where we are going
Michèle Whitecliffe with Greg Whitecliffe's whakapapa sketchbook
My home is my “Happy Place”, where I surround myself with paintings and sculptures and things that bring happy memories (mostly they are art works created by late husband, Greg Whitecliffe). With time on my hands in the current COVID environment – I have had time to reflect on my journey and what I would like to do with his artwork.
Gregory Ernest Tikihana Whitecliffe (born 4 August 1954 - Died 15 February 2001)
Left: Greg in his 30s, Right: Greg in his 40s
Greg passed away at 46 years of age of liver and pancreatic cancer. It was sudden and quick. He died within the year of diagnosis, leaving me to continue the running of Whitecliffe College of Arts & Design that we both started together in 1982. Having run the college for 18 years on my own and seeing the college grow in size and reputation I knew that Whitecliffe College was in a position to continue on into the future without me, it was sold in 2018.
Image: Whitecliffe Art School - Full-time students 1988
Since retiring two years ago my children (Amber, Hayden and Laken all who have successful careers in creative industries) have been encouraging me to write about their much-loved father (my late husband) and share with the public his story as an artist, entrepreneur and an academic. As a whanau we have worked together over the last few years getting ready for what is next.
Launch of Whitecliffe.com
It is with great pride we can share with you www.whitecliffe.com featuring The Whitecliffe Art Collection. This collection of work includes Greg Whitecliffe and many other artists’ works. Collagraphs, etchings, screenprints, drawings, paintings both figurative, landscapes, portraits, and Greg's most recent works which he had just started painting in the last few years before he passed away; arcylic and pastel works all about his Māori ancestral heritage. These significant artworks are some of the best Māori art he produced in his lifetime, and in my opinion, some of the best Māori art produced in New Zealand's recent history.
Image: Greg Whitecliffe - Self Moko using family signature tāmoko
The Whitecliffe website showcases our art collection and allows you to purchase unique art for sale online, request access to the full collection. Funds from sales will help create opportunities to do something positive in the artistic community. I have started this blog so that each month I can share with you those opportunities and also our story, the trials, and tribulations of creating the first private degree-granting art college in New Zealand, and all the adventures along with way. We will also share the latest artworks that we list for sale and what we are doing to achieve our goals.
Firstly I would like to acknowledge the support I have received from others, including my children and a special thank you to Hayden who has worked hard to create this website. Over the last twenty years since Greg died I have raised over $80,000 NZD and the funds from the sales of the paintings and sculptures have gone into art awards in several primary and intermediate schools around Auckland, scholarships for top students and graduates at Whitecliffe College of Arts & Design.
Michèle Whitecliffe launches Art Writing Prize
Now with the sales of the art work from the Whitecliffe Art website I will continue to support artistic endeavours. In association with the Auckland Art Gallery we have created the Michele Whitecliffe Art Writing prize the first winner to be announced November 2021. Find out more here.
Read the first full instalment of the blog where I tell the story of how I met Greg and why we decided to start an Art School in the 1980s. I am excited about this new chapter and that together with my children I will be able to continue to support artistic endeavors and help others who also find their 'happy place' being surrounded by art and creativity.