John Coley, a New Zealand painter and art critic, died on March 17, 2026, aged 91.
John William Coley MBE was born in Palmerston North on 28 January 1935. He attended Palmerston North Boys’ High School and took evening art classes at the city’s Technical School before beginning work as a cadet reporter on the Manawatu Evening Standard.
In 1955, he studied at the Canterbury College School of Art in Christchurch. Coley later served as director of the Robert McDougall Art Gallery, now known as the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, from 1981 to 1995.
John William Coley MBE (28 January 1935 – 17 March 2026) was a New Zealand painter and art critic. He was director of the Robert McDougall Art Gallery (now known as the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu) from 1981 to 1995.