Ursula Bethell: A Fine and Private Place, 4 Nov – 4 Dec 2022: Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House

An exhibition highlighting the life of the Canterbury poet and artist Ursula Bethell is opening at Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House, offering the rare opportunity to view examples of her work as an accomplished water-colour artist alongside archival papers from her literary life.

Ursula Bethell (1874-1945) is recognised as a pivotal figure in New Zealand literature and the Christchurch arts community. Bethell, who initially published under the pseudonym Evelyn Hayes, settled in New Zealand in 1924 with her lifelong companion Effie Pollen. Their house Rise Cottage in Cashmere was the focus of her first poetry collection, From a garden in the Antipodes, published in 1929.

The garden poems and watercolours are especially suited to the picturesque surrounds of Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House. Curated by UC Library Archivist Erin Kimber, “Ursula Bethell: A Fine and Private Place” provides insight into the creative and domestic life of a woman who was intensely private, yet surrounded by a large circle of friends and admirers.  The exhibition features material from the collections held in Te Puna Rakahau o Macmillan Brown | Macmillan Brown Library, University of Canterbury, including her archival papers which in 2021 were inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Aotearoa New Zealand Register

The exhibition opens to the public on Friday 4 November, running until Sunday 4 December.  There is a programme of related talks and events during the exhibition, including poetry readings by UC’s Masters of Writing students.

A collaboration between Te Puna Rakahau o Macmillan Brown and Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House the ‘Ursula Bethell: A Fine and Private Place’ exhibition is free to access at the rear of event venue Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House. To visit the museum, admission charge applies.

Exhibition Ursula Bethell: A Fine and Private Place 4 November – 4 Dec 2022, 10am – 4pm, Wed–Sun (closed Mon-Tue). Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House. 83 Clyde Road, Ilam, Christchurch.