Expressions Arts and Entertainment Trust has been gifted a collection of historical paintings that will become the basis of a permanent art collection for the city of Upper Hutt.

Donors Ernest and Shirley Cosgrove have been collecting historical paintings, primarily of local scenes from artists who painted with influential impressionist painter James Nairn at the Pumpkin Cottage in Silverstream in the 1890s. The collection of 39 works, mainly water colours, is known as the Pumpkin Cottage Paintings Collection.

The Pumpkin Cottage Paintings Collection has been available to the public at the Cosgrove property ‘Efil Doog Garden of Art’ in the Akatarawa Valley for many years, and was celebrated as the inaugural exhibition 'Broken Sunlight' when Expressions Arts and Entertainment Centre opened in September 2003. The Cosgrove's now wish to make the collection permanently accessible to the people of Upper Hutt and on the 31st of March 2009 Ernest and Shirley will be gifting the Pumpkin Cottage Paintings Collection to Expressions Arts and Entertainment Trust.

The Expressions Trust has received a $5000 Museum Development Grant from Te Papa's National Services Te Paerangi to upgrade policies to care for a permanent collection, and to undertake photography, cataloguing and conservation assessments of all the works. Framing materials will be refreshed to meet museum standards. The visual arts community will assist with the funding for this work through contributing works to the Upper Hutt Salon exhibition and Art Auction to be held on 27 June 2009. A small selection of the collection will be on display from 15 May to 28 June 2009. A full exhibition including all the works will be held in March 2010.

Ernest Cosgrove, Donor

“The motivation behind the gift is to do something constructive for the Upper Hutt Community who has been very good to us since we arrived in Upper Hutt. These paintings are very much part of Upper Hutt’s history and we would like to ensure they are available for the Upper Hutt people to see and enjoy as often as is practical.”

Peter Richardson, Chairman of Expressions Arts and Entertainment Trust

“We are enthusiastic about having a permanent collection, particularly as the works are so relevant to our community and have significance for the development of impressionist painting in New Zealand.

The inaugural exhibition of the Pumpkin Cottage Paintings as a public collection, will be developed with future touring in mind, to help raise the profile of the Centre and to generate publicity that encourages the future gifting of other relevant works that build on the collection.”

Wayne Guppy, Mayor of Upper Hutt City

“Ernest and Shirley Cosgrove have developed and treasured the Pumpkin Cottage history over a long period. This gift follows on from their earlier donation of a memorial boulder to mark the Pumpkin Cottage site at Silverstream on Fergusson Drive. With the development of a public gallery at Expressions, the city is in a position to accept the gift of this magnificent collection for the people of Upper Hutt.”

Stephanie Cottrill, Director of Expressions Arts and Entertainment Centre

“The long term outcomes are to maximise accessibility to the public whilst preserving and caring for the collection to national museum standards. We also aim to build the collection by encouraging passive growth over time through gifts and bequests, and to contribute to the pool of touring exhibitions available to museums and galleries throughout New Zealand.”

Tracy Puklowski, General Manager of Te Papa's National Services Te Paerangi

"We are very happy to be able to support such a worthwhile project. It's great to know that this collection will be available to the people of Upper Hutt, as it helps tell an important local story."