Jaenine Parkinson To Depart As Director Of New Zealand Portrait Gallery

The New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata announces the departure of Director Jaenine Parkinson, who has been appointed as Head of Art at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

Jaenine has led the New Zealand Portrait Gallery for seven and a half years, overseeing a period of significant artistic and organisational growth. Her departure marks the end of a visionary chapter for the Gallery, during which she championed diverse artists and brought deeply resonant exhibitions to life.

"One of the great privileges of this role has been celebrating the iconic impact of some of Aotearoa’s most remarkable artists during their lifetimes. It has been an honour to present the works of Jacqueline Fahey, Star Gossage, Robyn Kahukiwa, Richard Lewer, Selwyn Muru, and John Walsh — alongside powerful exhibitions featuring artists mid-flight such as Edith Amituanai, Hiria Anderson-Mita, Julia Holden, Sara McIntyre, Euan Macleod, and Telly Tuita. I’ve especially loved working closely with communities on exhibitions exploring rich, layered themes — from filmmaking about the New Zealand Wars, to being Chinese in Aotearoa, to the lives of transgender women from Carmen Rupe’s generation and women sculptors,” says Jaenine.

Chair of the New Zealand Portrait Gallery Board, Dr. Alan Bollard CNZM, says, “Jaenine’s impact on the Gallery and the wider art community has been transformational. She has consistently brought bold, thoughtful, and inclusive leadership to her work, ensuring the Gallery remains a place where identity, community, and creativity intersect. We are thrilled for her new opportunity and deeply grateful for all she has contributed.”

As she prepares for her next chapter, Jaenine remains an ardent supporter of the capital’s arts scene. “The gallery ecosystem in Pōneke is doing it tough right now but I believe in its strength and resilience. By keeping the value of our arts and artists in focus, and continuing to show up in support, we can and will endure. It has been an incredible opportunity and immense honour to lead the New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata. I am proud of all we have achieved together and confident that the Gallery will continue to thrive and inspire under new leadership.

I will continue to remind people, to their astonishment, that the Portrait Gallery is a charity that must start fundraising from scratch every year. I remain amazed that the Portrait Gallery not only exists but thrives, thanks to the incredible generosity of its supporters. I am profoundly grateful for the backing of artists, the board, staff, and our community of supporters during my time here."

The New Zealand Portrait Gallery will begin recruitment for a new Director shortly.

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