Collage

This collaged panel once hung in Wellington’s Evergreen Coffee Lounge in Vivian Street. It is part of a collection of panels and other items that relate to the life of Chrissy Witoko, the Evergreen Coffee Lounge, and the communities of people who congregated in the cafés and night clubs around Cuba and Vivian streets between about 1970 – 2002. Each panel includes a combination of photographs featuring people Chrissy associated with, news or magazine clippings, business cards and other ephemera.

Almost all the images in this collage are from the 1997 Devotion magazine, edited by Caren Wilton, which was produced for the annual dance party and festival in Wellington (held during the 1990s). The panel includes a photograph at the bottom centre of members of Wellington's Devotion board (Sam Peters, Daniel Fielding and Janet Dunn) as well as others who played various roles in organising the party, parade and magazine, including Trevor Lawler, Mal Vaughan, Charmaine Ngarimu, Tim Dimock, Ramón Rivero, Caren Wilton and Vernon Waretini.

The collage also references several Wellington entertainment and hospitality businesses which had a queer connection, either through the owners, staff or patrons. These include Goudy's restaurant and bar, La Strada bar, Brasserie Flipp, Casper's bar and cafe, Hotel St George, Toledo bar, Pierre's, Sanctuary, the Evergreen Coffee Lounge, and Espressoholic. It also refers to gay liberation publication Express newspaper, the Out empire (gay saunas, nightclubs, magazine), businesses supporting the New Zealand AIDS Foundation (now Burnett Foundation Aotearoa), and various Wellington theatres. GAP (Gay Association of Professionals) is today Rainbow Wellington. The photograph of flax weaving depicts the work of Nga Kaimahi O Te Po (NKTP) Workers of the Night Wellington community services agency.

Other people pictured include Pamela Stephenson, Maria Parker, Gareth Farr, Emma Martin, Johnny Croskery, Malcolm Vaughan, Carmen Rupe, Chrissy Witoko, Mika (Neil Gudsell), Frank Lund, NZ croquet champion Paul Skinley, Jason Olsen, Chu Ping Yu, former mayor of Wellington Mark Blumsky, Grace Hoet, Alexis Kennedy, Teokotai Paitai, television presenters Nellie and Andrew Whiteside, Jools Joslin, and former mayor of Kapiti Coast Jenny Rowland.

Georgina Beyer (Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Porou) (1957-2023) is featured top right. Beyer was the world's first openly transgender mayor and Member of Parliament. She was the mayor of Carterton from 1995-2000, and Member of Parliament (for Wairarapa) from 1999-2007. She was a trailblazing activist, champion for LGBTQI+ communities, and campaigned for prostitution law reform and civil unions. She played many roles in her life, including as a sex worker, actor and drag performer.

Te Papa works in collaboration with LGBTQI+ communities and individuals to discover the histories represented in the panels. If you have any information you would like to share in relation to this panel please contact a history curator at Te Papa on +64 (0)4 381 7000.