Past Events
The Gallery extends its exhibition programme through a diverse range of events and activities that are designed to enrich your experience of visual discovery. Our public programmes range from workshops to artist talks and include guided tours and film screenings.
Two O’Clock Tours | Ngā Hau Ngākau
Bringing Te Ao Māori to life, Ngā Hau Ngākau consists of 36 paintings by Robin Slow, 34 carvings by Brian Flintoff and a soundscape and video by Bob Bickerton, Ariana Tikao, Holly Tikao-Weir and Solomon Rahui. This exhibition honours the ancient whakapapa (genealogy) of ngā manu and offers a different perspective to consider contemporary human experience in Aotearoa.
Join us on our next Tw...
Sunday 13 August, 2pm
Two O’Clock Tours | Colossal Squid: Freaky Features!
Did you know that the Colossal Squid has the largest animal eyes ever studied? Or that despite being the largest squid on the planet, the Colossal Squid is so rarely seen that only eight adult colossal squid have ever been scientifically reported?
If you're keen to learn more about the fascinating world of the Colossal Squid, join us on our next Two O'Clock Tour!
Come along at 2pm on Sunday ...
30 July 2023, 2pm
Opening | Ngā Hau Ngākau and Exquisite Corpse
Join us on August 11 at 6pm for the opening of two new exhibitions: Ngā Hau Ngākau and Exquisite Corpse.
Ngā Hau Ngākau is an exhibition which is currently touring New Zealand. Consisting of 36 paintings by Robin Slow, 34 carvings by Brian Flintoff and a soundscape and video by Bob Bickerton, Ariana Tikao, Holly Tikao-Weir and Solomon Rahui it evokes the form of t...
11 August 2023, 6pm
Two O’Clock Tours | ASA 59
The Ashburton Society of Arts (ASA) Annual Exhibition is back at the Gallery! This exhibition is a visual delight, bringing together works from local, national, and guest artists in a variety of media.
To hear more about featured guest artists and chat about the winning works, join us at the Two O’Clock Tour of ASA 59!
Come along at 2pm on Sunday 16 July to hear our lovely Front of House ...
Sunday 16 July 2023, 2pm
Cultural Workshop: Afghanistan
Join us on the 25th of July for a Cultural Awareness Workshop showcasing Afghanistan!
This is the fifth of a series of workshops held at the Ashburton Art Gallery and Museum in partnership with the Hakatere Multicultural Council and 25 July 2023, 10.30am
School Holidays | Construct a Colossal Squid
10AM – 4PM daily
Free | Drop-in
We have been fortunate enough to secure Colossal Squid: Freaky Features! Te Ngū Tipua: Ngā Wāhanga Weriweri! from Te Papa! To celebrate this, we are inviting tamariki and rangatahi to make their own Colossal Squid using recycled materials.
01 July - 11 July 2023
Opening | ASA 59
The Ashburton Society of Arts (ASA) Annual Exhibition returns to the Gallery this July for its 59th incarnation. This exhibition is a visual delight, bringing together works from local, national, and guest artists in a variety of media.
All exhibited works in this exhibition are available to purchase. The commissions from sales directly contribute to the running of the ASA studio at...
03 July 2023, 7pm
School Holidays | Celebrate Matariki Puaka Weekend
10AM - 4PM daily
Free | Drop-in
If you are looking for something to do over Matariki weekend, come along and take part in our Puaka activities including making a manu tukutuku.
14 July - 16 July 2023
School Holidays | The Great Expedition
10AM - 4PM daily
Free | Drop-in
Did you know the colossal squid has three hearts? See if can find the Colossal Squid body parts hiding around the Museum to collect an Explorer’s badge.
01 July - 03 September 2023
School Holidays | Locate the Landscape
10AM – 4PM daily
Free | Drop-in
See if you can find the locations of the landscapes on display that inspired the artist! Explorer’s badges will be up for grabs!
01 July - 28 July 2023
School Holidays | Make a whetū
10AM – 4PM daily
Free | Drop-in
While Matariki is celebrated by many iwi across Aotearoa to mark the Māori New Year, Kāi Tahu in Te Waipounamu also celebrates Puaka/Puanga. Puaka is the brightest star in the Orion
constellation and is more visible than Matariki here in Hakatere Ashburton.
Over the July school holidays, we are inviting tamariki and rangatahi to make their own whetū to ...
01 July - 16 July 2023
School Holidays | Designer Mugs: Create a Landscape
10AM – 4PM daily
$2 charge for materials | Drop-in
Taking inspiration from the landscapes on display from the Gallery’s collection and the Ashburton Society of Arts, children are invited to decorate their very own mug using brightly coloured porcelain markers.
Once you have created your patterns on the mug, you can take it home to bake in the oven for 90 minutes at 160C to set the desig...
01 July - 14 July 2023
Two O’Clock Tours | Puaka: A Star on the Rise
While Matariki is celebrated by many iwi across Aotearoa to mark the Māori New Year, Kāi Tahu in Te Waipounamu also celebrate Puaka/Puanga. Puaka is the brightest star in the Orion constellation and is more visible than Matariki here in Hakatere Ashburton.
Want to learn more about Puaka and the Māori New Year? Join us at the Two O'Clock Tour of our new exhibition Puaka: A Star on the Rise.
...
Sunday 02 July, 2pm
Two O’Clock Tours | Over the Range
Join us to learn about the painted landscapes of Waitaha Canterbury and the perspectives of early settlers in our next Two O'Clock Tour!
The books A First Year in Canterbury Settlement, and Erewhon: or, Over the Range by Samuel Butler (1835-1902) describe landscapes that were either inspired, or directly experienced by Butler during his years sheep farming at the high country ...
18 June 2023, 2pm
Two O’Clock Tours | Rachel Ratten
In her new exhibition The Construction of Colour, Rachel Ratten lets her textiles take over, creating works that are fluid and painterly using a technique she calls ‘improv quilting’.
Interested in quilting, painting, and all things colourful? Join us on our Two O'Clock Tour to hear more!
Every second Sunday at 2pm we run a 20 minute tour of one of our exhibitions, and on Sunda...
Sunday 04 June, 2pm
Two O’Clock Tours | Indigo
Representing the various disciplines of ceramics, painting, sculpture, photography and mixed media, Indigo is an artist collective that was born out of a commitment to support one another. While the eight artists are connected through their home of Central Otago, their art practices differ significantly, resulting in a lavish range of works that have taken over the gallery.
Where to st...
Sunday 21 May, 2pm
Samoan Cultural Awareness Workshop
Join us on the 29th of May for a Cultural Awareness Workshop showcasing Samoa!
29 May 2023, 10.30am
Artist Talk | Rachel Ratten
At our upcoming artist talk, join artist Rachel Ratten in conversation with curator James Hope as they discuss her new exhibition, The Construction of Colour.
Despite being an avid quilter for 20 years, Timaru-based artist Rachel Ratten is more widely known as a painter and printmaker. Since completing her MFA in painting at the University of Canterbury in 2015, however, quilting has...
11 June 2023, 2pm
Two O’Clock Tours | Gabby O’Connor
In the Antarctic, moisture particles in the air can freeze and act as tiny prisms, reflecting a rainbow of light that creates twinkling clouds known as ‘diamond dust’. In All the Colours, All the Light, Gabby O’Connor uses these same principles to sculpt with light.
Want to know more about Gabby's Antarctic inspiration? The Art Gallery and Museum’s Two O’Clock Tours are your...
07 May 2023, 2pm
Exhibition opening | Indigo | Rachel Ratten | Ashburton College
Join us for the opening of three new exhibitions: Indigo, Rachel Ratten's The Construction of Colour, and Ashburton College's I am human, I am not a robot.
Indigo is a Centra...
12 May, 2023, 6pm
Book Launch | Ashburton on the Move
Join us to celebrate the launch of Michael Hanrahan's new book, Ashburton on the Move - 150 years of relocating buildings in the Ashburton District.
Michael Hanrahan's new book will have an official launch on May 17 at 5.30pm at the Ashburton Art Gallery and Museum!
This new book, published by the Ashburton Museum & Historical Society, is over 200 page...
17 May 2023, 5.30pm
Kōrero | Sharing the Burdens: Conscription in Canterbury during WWII
Join us for a kōrero by David Littlewood, Senior History Lecturer at Massey University, about some of the lesser known aspects of Canterbury’s WWII Home Front story.
During the initial stages of the Second World War, the New Zealand government adopted sweeping powers to conscript men into the army. When conscription was subsequently extended into the industrial sphere and made applicable to ...
07 June 2023, 6pm
Kōrero | Stories from the Canterbury Home Front during WWII
Join us for a kōrero by Angela Wanhalla, Professor of History at the University of Otago, about some of the lesser known aspects of Canterbury’s WWII Home Front story.
This illustrated talk explores some of the lesser known aspects of Canterbury’s Second World War Home Front story from the women who married American servicemen, and their fate, through to Māori engagement in the patriotic ...
21 May 2023, 1pm
Two O’Clock Tours | Westerfield Camp – The Army Marches In
Discover the forgotten story of the Westerfield Military Camp at our next Two O'Clock Tour!
The Art Gallery and Museum’s new Two O’Clock Tours are your chance to get some inside info about our current exhibitions.
Every second ...
23 April 2023, 2pm
Competition | Gabby O’Connor
There’s no question that Gabby O’Connor’s work All the Colours, All the Light is photogenic – some have even described it as ‘instagram-able’. Let’s put that to the test!
We want you to get creative and take an awesome photo or video of yourself with Gabby’s work before the exhibition closes on May 26. To enter, post your creation to any of these platforms:
• Instagram: Pos...
03 April - 26 May 2023
Two O’Clock Tours | ZAFAA23
Jo Burzynska's Premier Award winning work may look like a concrete brick, but Jo specializes in working beyond what meets the eye... Join us on a tour of the Zonta Ashburton Female Art Awards exhibition where you will engage your non-visual senses to discover the context behind Jo's work.
The Art Gallery and Museum’s Two O’Clock Tours are your chance to get some inside info about our curren...
09 April 2023, 2pm
Caption This
Museum Exhibition Space, 10AM - 4PM daily
Throughout our Humour Me - The Funny Side of Town exhibition we are inviting visitors to come up with captions for a few of the cartoons that are held in the Museum’s collection.
Three $50 Paper Plus vouchers are up for grabs for our favourite 3 captions. This competition is open to all ages and you are welcome to enter as many times as yo...
18 February - 19 June 2023
LETTERS OF LOVE | April School Holidays
Museum foyer, 10AM - 4PM daily
To coincide with our new exhibition Westerfield Camp – The Army Marches In, which explores the Home Front in Hakatere Ashburton during the Second World War, we are inviting tamariki and rangatahi to create hand-made postcards and write letters of love that will be delivered directly to Ukrainian refugee kids and mums.
During WWI and WWII, New Zealand children...
08 April - 25 April 2023
ANZAC – MAKE A POPPY
Learning Centre, 10AM - 4PM daily
Celebrate the courage of our servicemen and women this ANZAC weekend by making a commemorative poppy. You can add your poppy to our wreath that will make its way to the Baring Square West cenotaph which is next door to the Art Gallery and Museum. All materials are supplied along with simple step-by-step instructions.
Cost: Free; drop in any...
21 April - 24 April 2023
COLOUR PLAY | April School Holidays
Gallery foyer, 10AM - 4PM daily
Throughout Gabby O’Connor’s exhibition All the Colours, All the Light we are inviting visitors to play with blue, magenta and yellow vinyl and transform the glass railing in our upstairs foyer.
Cost: Free; drop in anytime
Ages: All welcome
05 April - 26 May 2023
ART LAB – COLOUR AND LIGHT | April School Holidays
Learning Centre, 10AM - 4PM daily
During the first week of the school holidays our Learning Centre will be transformed into an interactive space where visitors can take part in activities inspired by Gabby O’Connor’s exhibition All the Colours, All the Light.
Cost: Free; drop in anytime
Ages: All welcome
08 April - 17 April 2023
Workshop | Making Icebergs with Gabby O’Connor
Join our community workshop with visual artist and PhD candidate Gabby O'Connor at the Ashburton Gallery and Museum to have a go at making your own iceberg collage and learn about Gabby's research about icebergs and Antarctica.
In this workshop you will use a lightbox to create an iceberg collage from repurposed materials. Combine your knowledge of science and art to create the coolest iceberg,...
20 April 2023, 10.30 - 12.30
Two O’Clock Tours | Audrey Baldwin
The Art Gallery and Museum’s new Two O’Clock Tours are your chance to get some inside info about our current exhibitions!
Every second Sunday at 2pm we will be running a 20 minute tour of one of our exhibitions, starting this Sunday 26 March with Audrey Baldwin’s THIS IS FINE, EVERYTHING’S FINE.
Come along at 2pm to hear our lovely Front of House Assistant Jacqui speak about the them...
Sunday 26 March, 2pm
Artist Talk: Gabby O’Connor with Adele Jackson
Join artists Gabby O'Connor and Adele Jackson as they discuss art, Antarctica, and Gabby's exhibition All the Colours, All the Light.
Aotearoa-based installation artist Gabby O’Connor's current research interests involve working with scientists and communities to communicate th...
19 April 2023, 6pm
Artist Talk: Audrey Baldwin
Audrey Baldwin will be at the Gallery on Saturday the 11th of March at 2pm for an artist talk where she will share more insight behind her exhibition THIS IS FINE, EVERYTHING'S FINE.
ZAFAA22 Premier Award winner Audrey Baldwin's exhibition playfully takes aim at ‘grind culture’, interna...
11 March 2023, 2pm
Art Addicts
Art Addicts (AA) is the Gallery’s weekly art space for kids during the school term. Wrap up your Wednesday school day and head to the AAGM to get creative and explore different materials and themes in art. AA is all about a fun, shared learning experience for all who attend. We encourage parents and grandparents to join in on the fun too!
There is no need to book, just drop in anytime between...
EVERY WEDNESDAY 3:00 – 4:30PM | DURING SCHOOL TERMS
Exhibition Opening – THIS IS FINE, EVERYTHING’S FINE
Join us for the opening of ZAFAA22 Premier Award winner Audrey Baldwin's exhibition THIS IS FINE, EVERYTHING'S FINE.
Audrey Baldwin's solo exhibition playfully takes aim at 'grind culture', internalised capitalism and the challenges of living in a media choked society. Incorporating business jargon, toxic positivity statements and a small army of fans, she aims to provide an outlet f...
10 March 2023, 7pm
ZAFAA23 Exhibition Opening and Awards
Join us for the exhibition opening and award presentation for The Zonta Ashburton Female Art Awards (ZAFAA), returning to the Ashburton Art Gallery for the seventh year.
ZAFAA seeks to raise the status of female visual artists and to acknowledge the contribution women make to the greater art discourse. The award is aligned with the values of Zonta International, which exists to advance the stat...
10 March 2023, 7pm
Astronomy Talk: Understanding our Universe
Join us at the Ashburton Art Gallery and Museum for a lunchtime talk (BYO lunch) from the wonderful Alistair Perkins of the Ashburton Astronomy Group.
This talk will include a brief history of astronomy, a pictorial guided tour of the Cosmos and a look at Ashburton's historic 140-year-old...
30 January 2023, 12pm - 1pm
Exhibition Opening – In the Round
Join us for the opening of In the Round on Friday 27 January at 6pm.
In this exhibition, local artist Robin Arnst has employed the circle as a motif, both as a method to structure the work, and as an element within the composition. Using her time-honoured techniques of multi-layering colour and collage, she builds dense colour grounds which flow in and around figurative elements. To o...
27 January 2023 at 6pm
Tūhura Tuarangi Virtual Reality Experience
For a limited time, you can use virtual reality to explore space from right here at Ashburton Art Gallery and Museum!
As a part of the exhibition 'Tūhura Tuarangi: Aotearoa in Space', we will have a virtual reality experience available from 22 - 26 January.
22 January - 26 January 2023
Tagata Moana School Holiday Programme
This Thursday 12 January, the Tagata Moana team is running a children's workshop at Ashburton Art Gallery and Museum! Explore Pasifika patterns, printmaking, and digital technologies to print your own designs.
Make sure to register online using the link below, as there are limited spaces ...
12 January 2023, 9:30am - 15:00pm
The Great Santa Hunt
The Ashburton Art Gallery and Museum’s Santa Hunt is back these school holidays with a special late night event, so get your torches ready!
We’re turning off all the lights, so bring your torches along to our late night hunt on Wednesday 21 December and try to find our sneaky Santas in their new hiding spots across the museum.
Our Santas will be hiding all summer until 3...
21 December 2022 - 31 January 2023
Summer Burty Challenge 22/23
School is almost out, but there are plenty of activities to keep young people busy over the holidays, including the annual Burty challenge involving the library, art gallery and museum, open spaces and EA Networks Centre.
Youngsters are challenged to do two specific tasks at each of the locations, have their cha...
14 December 2022 - 29 January 2023
Molly’s Scavenger Hunt
For Molly’s friends who are missing pieces of her masterpiece, this school holiday is a great chance to catch-up. Also, this is the perfect opportunity for those new to Molly to sign-up and become her friend. Don’t forget, if you complete Molly’s masterpiece by Friday 20th January you can enter our draw to win an incredible gift basket filled with art supplies. Pick up Molly’s S...
10am - 4pm, Wednesday 21 December - Friday 20 January
Expressions in Patterns
Design a pattern to express your own identity and mana.
Cost: Free; drop in anytime
Ages: All welcome
10am - 4pm, Monday 16 January - Sunday 05 February
Space Dreaming
(Tūhura Tuarangi discover outer space activity: Wawata)
An all ages activity as part of the Tūhura Tuarangi: Aotearoa in Space exhibition.
What would you like future space travel to look like? Design your dream space shuttle!
Cost: Free; drop in anytime
Ages: All welcome
10am - 4pm, Monday 16 January - Sunday 05 February
Unusual Sculptures
Make a figurative sculpture from recycled and scavenged items.
Cost: Free; drop in anytime
Ages: All welcome
10am - 4pm, Monday 02 January - Sunday 15 January
The Star Cloak of Rakinui
(Tūhura Tuarangi discover outer space activity: Mīhara)
An all ages activity as part of the Tūhura Tuarangi: Aotearoa in Space exhibition.
Join our community weaving project and help create a beautiful cloak of stars for Tāne (god of forests) to gift his father Rakinui (god of the sky).
Cost: Free; drop in anytime
10am - 4pm, Monday 02 January - Sunday 15 January
Monster Mash
Collage a mythical monster inspired by Ancient Greece.
Cost: Free; drop in anytime
Ages: All welcome
10am - 4pm, Wednesday 14 December - Sunday 01 January
The Compass of Tāwhaki
(Tūhura Tuarangi discover outer space activity: Mōhiotaka)
An all ages activity as part of the Tūhura Tuarangi: Aotearoa in Space exhibition.
10am - 4pm, Wednesday 14 December - Sunday 01 January
Exhibition Opening – Indecipherable Celebration
Join us for the opening of Indecipherable Celebration on Saturday 10 December at 5.30pm.
Indecipherable Celebration presents recent work by Ōtautahi Christchurch based painter Gareth Brighton. Since graduating from Ilam School of Fine Arts with his Masters in 2016, Brighton has worked with a variety of media including painting, printmaking and sculpture. Despite this, he reta...
10 December, 2022 at 5.30pm
Exhibition Opening – Earthly Origins: Touchstones of Fired Earth
Join us for the opening of Earthly Origins: Touchstones of Fired Earth on Saturday 26 November at 5.30pm.
Artists Sarah Harper, Hannah Kidd, and Marian Maguire’s contemporary suites of artwork utilise ancient artefacts as a source of artistic inspiration, yet ultimately question ...
26 November, 2022 at 5.30pm
Exhibition Opening – Capturing Colour and Light
Join us to celebrate the opening of a new solo exhibition by local artist Ngaio McKee.
A free public event. All welcome. Find more information here
30 October 2022 at 2pm
Opening night: Bobbie Barwell – Capturing People and Places
Join us for the opening night Bobbie Barwell - Capturing People and Places, exploring the life, career and photographs of one of Ashburton’s earliest female photographers, ‘Bobbie’ Barwell of Barwell Studios.
Time: 6pm Wednesday 28 September
Cost: free; refreshments will be served.
A woman who was not confined by the social constructs of her time, Bobbie’s photographs cap...
28 September - 18 December, 2022
Exhibition Opening: The Wind of the Homeland
Come and join us for the opening of our new exhibition, The Wind of the Homeland by acclaimed Canterbury artist, Henry Lowen-Smith.
This is a free event. All welcome. Refreshments will be served.
This exhibition opening coincides with the ...
28 September, 2022 at 6pm
Family Art and Yoga
Family Art + Yoga is a workshop at Ashburton Art Gallery and Museum to support Mental Health Week 2022.
Through playful breathing exercises, energetic movements, visualisation techniques, and a mindful art activity. This workshop is an enjoyable way for both children and adults to learn how to be present; build awareness of thoughts, emotions, and feelings; let go of stress and anxiety; boost ...
Sunday 2nd October, 1:30 – 3:30pm
Creative Futures: 7-17 year olds
Are you aged between 7-17 years old and interested in teaching an art class at Ashburton Art Gallery and Museum?
This spring, we are inviting tamariki and rangatahi from the community to design and deliver art classes for families and whānau during the school holidays. This invitation aims to provide a supportive environment in which young aspiring artists can showcase their t...
06 September - 20 September
Moon Walking
About:
This brief activity is inspired by the Gallery’s current exhibition The moon and the pavement. Visitors are invited to consider their personal memories in relation to the different surfaces they walk upon, and make a small artwork to...
22 August - 9 September 2022
The Jub Jub Club: Colour and Landscapes
This month the Jub Jub Club will explore the spectacular exhibition Rare and Unrivalled Beauty. We will learn about ...
Sunday 21st August, 1:30-3:30pm
Join the opening event: Alchemy
Join us for the opening of Alchemy.
Alchemy is a glance into an artist’s studio where the intimate relationship with materials is revealed. Artists Amanda Greenfield and Tatyanna Meharry collaborate to create work that acknowledges the materials that they work with. This is a practice where earth plays an integral role and the transformation of it through process provides meaning to underpin ...
28 August 2022 at 2pm
Tāngata Ngāi Tahu Talk
Join co-editor and project lead Helen Brown and other members of the Tāngata Ngāi Tahu team as they highlight the lives and contributions of Ngāi Tahu people associated with the Mid Canterbury area whose biographies are featured in Tāngata Ngāi Tahu, Volumes One and Two.
The recently published second volume of Tāngata Ngāi Tahu celebrates the rich and diverse lives of the people of Ngāi...
14 September 2022 at 6pm
Lecture – The Kelliher Paintings: A New Zealand Phenomenon
We're thrilled to have Dr. Mark Stocker coming to Ashburton to share some of his knowledge and insight into our current exhibition Rare and Unrivalled Beauty: Landscape Paintings from the Kelliher Art Trust Collection. Mark's recently published article in A...
Wednesday 31 August, 5.30pm - 7pm
Art Addicts
Art Addicts (AA) is the Gallery’s weekly art space for kids during the school term.
Wrap up your Wednesday school day and head to the Ashburton Art Gallery and Museum to get creative and explore different materials and themes in art. Art Addicts is all about a fun, shared learning experience for all who attend.
Ages: Children of all ages are welcome! We encourage parents...
Every Wednesday from July 27 - September 28
In Colour | Art and Craft Sessions
In Colour is a great way to unwind and relax with like-minded people. Bring along your art and craft projects to share with others over morning tea once a month.
These are social sessions that encourage you to connect with others through creativity. Be inspired to learn a new creative pastime. Sessions are free and new members are always welcome.
The Gallery will supply ba...
2nd Friday of the month, 10:30am- 12pm
Grandparents Day Arts & Crafts
Grandparents Day is a day to acknowledge and celebrate the important contribution made by grandparents to the wellbeing and education of children within their family. It is an opportunity for family to show their gratitude and respect for the older generation and to honour grandparents. This year, the Gallery and Museum invites families and whānau to make a wall hanging gift for their grandparent...
10am - 4pm Sunday 24th July, 2022
Imagine Hat!
When you use your imagination, you can make-believe anything you want it to be. You can imagine a stick is a magic wand, broccoli are dinosaur trees, or a cardboard box is a rocket ship. Come to the Gallery and Museum this school holiday to make an imagination hat! Create a hat that transforms you into your favourite book character. And here’s the best bit . . . your hat doesn’t need to look l...
10am - 4pm Sunday 17th July - Saturday 23rd July, 2022
Map Making
Our natural environment is very important in keeping the cultural identity of Ngāi Tahu alive. To honour the environments our tūpuna (ancestors) moved through in Te Waipounamu (The South Island), and particular mahika kai (natural resources), make an arty map of the Hakatere district at the Gallery and Museum!
Cost: Free; drop-in anytime between 10am-4pm
Ages:
10am - 4pm Friday July 8 - Saturday July 16, 2022
Workshop – ALCHEMY: transform
Be inspired by your beautiful local landscape!
Come and create ceramic touch stones using local materials and earth colours from your unique geographic area of the Ashburton district. Explore the shapes in your special braided rivers that run from the mountains to the sea, and transform ceramic materials into your own set of rocks and pebbles.
During this session artists A...
Saturday 09 July 2022
Mid-winter Burty Challenge
Pick up your challenge card from:
- Ashburton Art Gallery and Museum
- Ashburton District Council
- Ashburton Library
- EA Networks Centre
09 - 24 July 2022
Art addicts
EVERY WEDNESDAY 3:00 - 4:30PM | DURING THE SCHOOL TERMS
Art Addicts (AA) is the Gallery’s weekly art space for kids during the school term. Wrap up your Wednesday school day and head to the AAG to get creative and explore different materials and themes in art. AA is all about a fun, shared learning experience for all who attend. We encourage parents and grandparents to ...
EVERY WEDNESDAY 3:00 - 4:30PM
Tapa Workshop
On Sunday 8 May, 2022, we are delighted to host two Tapa cloth making workshops with guest artists Tui Emma Gillies and Sulieti Fieme’a Burrows.
- Adult workshop: 10:30am-12:30pm, $10
- Children's workshop 1:30pm-3:30pm, $5 (or included in Jub Jub membership)
To book your place please register via Eventbrite, email: May 8
Exhibition Opening| Motoko Watanabe
Motoko Watanabe is a Ōtepoti (Dunedin) based artist. Within Motoko’s practice, less is more. Her large scale, softly sculpted forms are constructed from second-hand and recycled materials.
Of her artistic practice, Motoko states that we are constantly in the orbit of plastic and paper, whether it be in the form of wrapping, packages, bottles, or general domestic waste. These items act as a d...
4 February 2022
Exhibition Opening | Cryosphere
Join us for the opening of Jonathan Kay's new exhibition Cryosphere.
Cryosphere is a photographic exhibition that owes its origins to a 2018 explorative project entitled Ice Field. The project surveyed two Te Waipounamu (South Island) glaciers; Haupapa (Tasman) and Te Moeka o Tuawe (Fox). These two glaciers where selected for documentation as they capture the wide ...
4 February 2022
Exhibition Opening | Ashburton Embroiderers’ Guild | Braided Threads
5 February 2022
Exhibition Opening and Artist Talks | Configure
Join us to meet the artists involved in creating the feminist exhibition Configure, and to celebrate the show's opening.
Inspired by Womanhouse , the historic art installation and performance space exhibited in Los Angeles, California in 1972, the 2021 incarnation of Co...
7 November 2021
MUKA Youth Prints 2021
This unique travelling exhibition for young people is back at the gallery with a collection of original lithographs which can only be viewed and purchased by those aged 5-18years. Unframed works $80, frames can be ordered for an additional $80.
See the Muka Prints website for more information.
17 November 2021
Artist Talk | Elizabeth Thomson
Wellington-based sculptor and artist Elizabeth Thomson joins us at the Gallery for an artist talk about her exhibition Cellular Memory.
Thomson has been drawn to areas of scientific knowledge such as botany, micro-biology, oceanography and mathematics. With images and concepts from those fields as her starting point, Thomson’s works take flight. They impart a sense of mystery, beauty...
24 October 2021
Natural Wonders – October school holiday programme
This year, we are inviting young explorers to take their cameras outsides and capture the wonders of nature.
Entries can be inspired by the works on display from Elizabeth Thomson, or by our friends at the Museum who also have a display of beautiful photos these holidays.
October School Holidays
Exhibition Opening | Elizabeth Thomson
Wellington-based sculptor and artist Elizabeth Thomson joins us at the Gallery for the opening of her exhibition Cellular Memory.
Thomson has been drawn to areas of scientific knowledge such as botany, micro-biology, oceanography and mathematics. With images and concepts from those fields as her starting point, Thomson’s works take flight. They impart a sense of mystery, beauty and t...
14 August 2021 | 6pm
Jub Jub | Exoplanets
In this session we will be taking a closer look at Elizabeth Thomson’s Exoplanet series and creating our own painting of an exoplanet which is a planet outside of the solar system.
29 August 21 | 1:30 - 3:30pm
Jub Jub | experimenting with stencils
In this session we will be looking at Mark Soltero’s artwork in the foyer and taking inspiration from it to make our very own stencil art. This session was originally to be held in May, but was postponed.
15 August 2021 | 1:30 - 3:30pm
15 August 2021 | 1:30 - 3:30pm
Jub Jub | Various stitches
In this session, artists from the Embroiderers’ Guild will teach members about various types of stitching. Members will get the opportunity to take their creation home.
26 September 21 | 1:30 - 3:30pm
Exhibition Opening | Gaylene Barnes
Gaylene Barnes is a farmer and a filmmaker. In her solo exhibition Durations, she pairs these backgrounds to observe creatures, insects, and plants. The observations examine how creatures, flora, and fauna live their days and nights in the wilds and on farms. Observations of the natural world spread from Heathcote to Mount Hutt, and throughout the wider Canterbury plains.
The non-narrative, con...
1 August 2021 | 2pm
ASA 57th Annual exhibition opening
The Ashburton Society of Arts (ASA) Annual Exhibition returns to the Gallery this July. This exhibition is a visual feast with works from local, national, and guest artists in a variety of mediums.
All exhibited works are available to purchase. The commissions from sales directly contribute to the running of the ASA studio at 53 Short Street. This dynamic space prides itself in being a venue for ...
5 July 2021
Jub Jub | Fun with Plaster
13 June 2021
Jub Jub | Experimenting with stencils
In this session we will be looking at Mark Soltero’s artwork in the foyer and taking inspiration from it to make our very own stencil art.
Sunday 30 May | 1:30 - 3:30pm
30 May 2021
Artist Talk | Hamish Coleman
Join us at the Ashburton Art Gallery to hear locally-born Hamish Coleman discuss his art practice and finding inspiration in his hometown Hakatere Ashburton.
A light lunch will be provided.
ALL WELCOME | NO CHARGE
18 April | 12pm
18 April 2021
Exhibition Openings | The Associates and Hamish Coleman
This Saturday at 6pm we will be celebrating the openings of two exhibitions at the Ashburton Art Gallery -
Hamish Coleman | On Returning
and
The Associates | A Stone to Strike and a Rock to Stumble Over.
...
17 April 2021
ANZAC DAY | Poppy Making
Commemorate the courage of our servicemen and women this ANZAC day by making a commemorative poppy. Materials will be supplied, along with simple step-by-step instructions.
25-26 April 2021
April School Holidays | Creation Station
During the second week of the holidays we are inviting visitors to take inspiration from The Associates and create their own unique artwork. The art trolley will be stocked with all sorts of wonderful materials for you to create with.
daily 27 April - 2 May | 10am - 4pm | free
27 April - 2 May 2021
April School Holidays | Colourful Sculptures
These school holidays we are taking inspiration from the playful and bright sculptures on display by Janna van Hasselt. Children are invited to come and make their own sculptures using coloured modelling clay. Join us for a frenzy of fun in the holidays!
This programme is open to children aged 3 years and above. Adult supervision is required for children under the age of thirteen. A cost of $2 ...
17-26 April 2021
the art grab 125
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Gallery, the Committee are hosting an art event to give your art collections a little boost! Over the past 25 years, the Gallery has hosted and curated over 300 exhibitions with local, national and international artists. It’s a history that we are incredibly proud of and eager to continue.
To mark this significant milestone, the committee have decided ...
09 April 2021
Jub Jub | Abstract Painting
Local artist Jennifer Harrison will be joining us this month to talk about her new work.
She will also teach us how to make an abstract painting using a pallet knife.
14 FEBRUARY
1:30 – 3:30PM
14 February 2021
Jub Jub | Inspired
In this session we will be looking at the Zonta Female Art Awards and create an artwork inspired by one of the finalists.
28 MARCH
1:30 – 3:30PM
Jub Jub | Print Making 101
In this session we will be looking at different types of printmaking in the current exhibition Thinking Unfolding and will experiment with techniques such as sun prints (cyanotype), embossing, mono printing as well as using the Gallery’s printing press.
31 JANUARY
1:30 – 3:30PM
31 January 2021
Film Screening | Clairmont on Clairmont
Join us at the Gallery for a screening of Clairmont on Clairmont, a personal exploration of one of New Zealand’s most powerful painters, Philip Clairmont, by his son Orlando. A son searches for the father he never knew, getting to know him through an extensive compilation of rare archival film and sound recordings.
Producer | Michele Fantl
Director | Orlando Clairmont
Duration | 50...
24 March 21
Linocut print workshop for teens
Stacey Banks| Scarlett Gloom printing
25 January| 1–4 PM | $25 per child
Suitable for children aged 13-18 years
In this very special workshop local printmaker Stacey Banks who is the maker behind Scarlett Gloom Prints will teach us how to create your very own lino print. You will learn about the tools and how to transfer your design to the plate and the carving and printing process. By the ...
25 January 21
Printmaking workshop – the Artist Book
Join experienced printmaker and Print Council Aotearoa NZ Chairperson Kathy Boyle for a day of print making.
Using various printmaking techniques, you will be printing a book cover and some pages and use these to create a small artist book to take home.
21 February 21
Joseph Michael | Amazon – Raised Up Sky
An artist talk that provides insight into the development of visual artist Joseph Michael’s augmented reality artwork, Amazon - Raised Up Sky.
Amazon - Raised Up Sky is an augmented reality a...
9 December 2020