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CREATING A LEGACY HOTA CEO Criena Gehrke is on a mission to make the Gold Coast a cultural heartland.
WORDS STACEY SHAPIRO
WORDS STACEY SHAPIRO HOME OF THE ARTS (HOTA) CEO Criena Gehrke is as passionate about art as she is about the Gold Coast. “I fell in love with the Gold Coast and now I can’t imagine living anywhere else,” she says. “There’s something about this city that gets under your skin – warm, laidback, ambitious, surprising and a little bit maverick. “It just feels like home.” The Gold Coast has always been synonymous with sun, surf and theme parks with most tourists bypassing the region when looking for art and culture. Criena is on a mission to change that perception and as the CEO of Australia’s largest regional art gallery, her vision is coming to life. “The opening of the HOTA Gallery has been a game changer for the Gold Coast and the precinct,” she says.
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“We have welcomed thousands of first-time visitors and I think locals have a growing sense of pride when it comes to art on the Gold Coast. “I hope in not too many years we will be welcoming everyone to a new performing arts centre,” she adds. Like most people who work in the arts, Criena has had an eclectic career. “I was actually performing as a monkey in a children’s show for Queensland Theatre Company when I met my husband. “I discovered, however, that what I love and am good at is bringing artists and audiences together to share incredible experiences. “But I enjoyed being a monkey while it lasted,” she says. Along with many other roles, Criena has worked as a production manager, artist agent, policy advisor and strategist for government.
Before taking up the reins at HOTA, she was Executive Coordinator of the City of Gold Coast’s Arts and Culture Unit where she was instrumental in the development of the Gold Coast’s Culture Strategy 2023. Part of that strategy was the redevelopment of the old Arts Centre precinct, and as the HOTA gallery settles into its new home, a six storey, multicoloured building framed by the iconic Surfer’s Paradise skyline, the quality of art on display is world class. The Gallery’s second major exhibition, Lyrical Landscapes: The Art of William Robinson runs until 3 October, while later in the year comes the world premiere exhibition Contemporary Masters from New York, presenting a selection of works from Andy Warhol to Jeff Koons – artists who revolutionised art in the late twentieth century and beyond.
