The School of Fine Art (SFA) collection comprises over 170 works, including prints, medals, sculpture, watercolours, drawings and oil paintings, executed mainly by artists associated with the School as both students and teachers.
In 1882 the Canterbury College School of Art opened with a total of 91 day and evening students. Closely affiliated to South Kensington in London, the school was traditional in its approach and tended to emphasise trade and craft related skills. From 1920 to 1930, the Canterbury School was at the forefront of the arts in New Zealand. Painting, and particularly the landscape, dominated. However, despite the influence of new artists and teachers from foreign shores, and the likes of 'The Group' (formed in 1927), the school was still largely conservative. Post war, the school began to focus much more strongly on fine arts, and throughout the 1960s and 70s grew gradually more experimental and innovative. Since 1950 Fine Arts has had full status as a University department, and was the first to move to the Ilam site in 1957, taking over Okeover House. Art History was introduced as part of the School’s programme in 1974 and in 1982 the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree was introduced.
Artists represented in the collection, who have taught or studied at the school, include: