Professor Richards has been a supporter of the Gisborne based Tairāwhiti Museum for many years. In May 2014 a new gallery, the Jack C Richards Decorative Arts Gallery opened. The gallery will be dedicated to showing pieces from Richards’ increasingly growing decorative arts collection, made up of pieces from Galle and Lalique glassware to rare Asian robes, intriguing Japanese prints and Chinese silverware.

Following the success of the 2015 concerts, Jack Richards is sponsoring an annual series of afternoon recitals in the Tairāwhiti Museum featuring student performers from the New Zealand School of Music. There will be six concerts scheduled throughout the year. These will be free events for Gisborne residents and are intended both to showcase the talents of NZSM students as well as to help expand the community outreach of the museum.

In early 2022, Dr. Richards made the decision to close down the Jack C Richards Decorative Arts Gallery and make the space available for the museum to use for other purposes. The background behind this decision can be read here.

Articles about the gallery:

• Bringing the World Closer - Gisborne Herald, 15th May, 2014
• Music & 1500 visitors bring new energy to bigger museum - Gisborne Herald, May 19th, 2014
• A museum that the whole community can be proud of - Gisborne Herald, May 19th, 2014 - editorial
• Museum extension opening the 'realisation of a dream' - Gisborne Herald, 19th May, 2014 - video
• Museum quarterly newsletter