The New Zealand Portrait Gallery is pleased to announce the establishment of an annual lecture on portrait art and its place in our society.  The lecture series is to honour the contribution of Dr Keith Ovenden to the development of the New Zealand Portrait Gallery.  Keith has kindly agreed to give the inaugural lecture on Thursday 15 August.

Why are portrait galleries increasingly popular destinations in major capitals like London?  This lecture explores the idea of a national portrait gallery as an essential component of a civilised society’s understanding and preservation of its history.

Dr Keith Ovenden has been involved with the New Zealand Portrait Gallery for 14 years, initially as Chairman of the Programme Committee, then as a Trustee, and most recently as Chairman of the Board (2012-18).  He is a writer who began his professional life as a university lecturer and has taken a life-long interest in the visual arts.