| Describe your past jobs and experience before owning/running a gallery?
It seems a long time since I have done anything else – I spent eighteen years in the mountains at Aoraki/Mount Cook village – a time of raising a family, living in a small community and working for a mountain guiding company. What is the most enjoyable part of your job as a gallery owner/director?
It is based around relationships – both with the artists and friends I have made. I love it when people stand in front of a work and it takes their breath away. I am privileged that I am sharing in some very special connections. Describe your gallery space, building and location – what made you choose to open/run a gallery here?
The Salamander Gallery is situated in the Arts Centre in Christchurch which until the mid 70’s was the original site of the University of Canterbury. The Salamander Gallery was established twenty years ago and we had the opportunity to purchase it is 2001. My husband used to say “We swapped the natural beauty of the mountains for the man made beauty of our artist's work”. What processes (physical and mental) do you use when curating a new exhibition?
Firstly I try to make it as stress free as possible. I trust the artists to develop their own show. They take care of the creative side and I take care of promotion, hanging and setting up for an opening celebration. The Salamander has shows every three weeks so it is a process ingrained with running the gallery. Tell us about an exhibition, held at your gallery over the last 12 months, that was memorable for you?
That’s a hard one to answer. I had such good exhibitions last year and they were memorable for all different reasons – from the first show of the year which was also the anniversary of continuing to run the gallery solo after the sudden death of my husband in 2009, to the fact that Stanley Palmer’s show stayed on the walls during the September earthquake! How do you stay up to date with the latest movements in the art world?
I’m not sure I do! I read, browse art magazines and websites and listen to people. What important advice do you offer gallery visitors when choosing and buying art?
I guess the enthusiasm and knowledge you have about your artists means you don’t have to give too much advice. People have their own views and experiences they bring to any artwork. If people ask for advice I say you have to enjoy the work or find some point of intrique that will mean there is more in the work than initially meets the eye. Which well-known art collector most interests you?
The couple that first caught my attention were Herb and Dorothy Vogel. The fact they built up a collection slowly and prioritized purchasing art by budgeting their wages empowers others to do the same. Why is art an important part of our everyday lives?
‘Art’ is such a broad concept – we can use it to reflect anything creative in our lives. It is an important dimension of living and I think most people do actually live alongside ‘art’ in some form.
Looking around the gallery walls as I write this the Salamander contributes to ‘art’ by providing commentary on such things as belonging, migration, conservation, It provides a creative outlet for the artists I work with and provides pleasure for those who take the work home. What period of art history appeals to you?
My interest of art history runs parallel to our cultural history. The emergence of Pasifika art in recent times, concerns around conservation and links to our past reflect strongly in the gallery. Other than art sales and exhibitions, what other services does your gallery offer visitors?
A friendly environment. I provide opportunities for a wide variety of education groups to visit and research at the gallery. I speak to interest groups and host evenings for art groups. I provide or can arrange services that take away barriers to purchasing a work – posting, shipping logistics, framing, hanging an artwork. Super power or natural creative brilliance – which would you choose?
Some days I think I have both – other days I would choose either! Interview with: Anne Munro - Gallery Owner and Director | 
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