Search Results

Pūmanawa

Galleries & museums

Pūmanawa is The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora’s community exhibition space.

Friends Fundraising Open Garden 2025

Sunday 7 December 2025

Join the Friends of the Arts Centre for a special visit to Frensham, a peaceful and wonderful 5* “Garden of National Significance” near Tai Tapu.

There’s lots to see and do

Visit

Glen’s trail
A craftsman, Glen takes local Canterbury timber and repurposes it into stunning home décor, furniture and unique wood art. He enjoys taking inspiration from the heritage buildings and can often be found in Lumière watching a film. Here’s what else Glen likes to get up to at The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora...

Food trucks get the green light at Christchurch Arts Centre

News

Food trucks remain at Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre after resource consent was approved by the Christchurch City Council today.

Absolution

Retailers

Established in 1996 as a professional body-piercing studio, Absolution built its reputation on a combination of a hygienic approach, modern fit-out and professional and personable staff.

Grants

Support

Supporting us to make a differenceTe Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre relies upon grants from several New Zealand trusts and foundations to help keep the doors open and activities underway, allowing The Arts Centre to connect with 650,000 people each year who visit the site and enjoy both the heritage atmosphere and the range of performances, children’s programmes and exhibitions on show.

A French Musical Soirée with Sonia & Nigel

Sunday 2 November, 2025

Sonia & Nigel are a multi-cultural acoustic duo featuring French-American Paris-born Sonia Wilson on vocals & ukulele and Kiwi-American virtuoso musician Nigel Gavin on 7-string guitar. They weave French, Kiwi and American songs with their own original compositions and inspiration from their travels around the world. After meeting and playing together for the first time at a folk festival during Sonia’s first visit to New Zealand on a solo round-the-world trip in December 2014, the pair have since become a well-loved duo in the New Zealand music scene and beyond - sharing songs as a vehicle for peace, joy, laughter, healing and community-building; celebrating beauty, love, life and ecology through their music.

Visit

Make a regular donation via your employer to The Arts Centre

Support

Giving through my pay
Make a regular donation to The Arts Centre through your employer each pay day and receive an immediate tax credit.

Conversations in Progress

Saturday 04 October to Saturday 01 November 2025

Between artwork and artist. The artist with themselves. The artist and their audience. The audience with the art. And, ultimately, the audience with themselves.
These conversations are ongoing, dynamic, and ever-changing. They shift with each encounter, reflecting who we are in the moment — our outlooks, beliefs, and emotions. Every return visit is different, because we are different.
Conversations in Progress is my conversation. It reveals not only the finished pieces, but the process of creation itself — exposed to public view in all its raw detail. The good, the bad, the awkward, and the uncertain. In embracing the fear of failure and vulnerability, I open myself to the possibility of growth, redemption, and triumph.
Each week, I’ll be joined by a local guest artist to showcase the vastly different techniques, skills, and processes of diverse practices. Expect live painting demonstrations, sculpting, collaborations, speed-painting tutorials, and more. This is a fluid exhibition with no fixed schedule — activities change daily, new works are added weekly, and the gallery itself becomes an ever-shifting landscape.
Alongside this evolving program, visitors can explore a collection of original artworks, artist studies, and limited-edition prints. A dedicated chill-out area offers a space to rest, reflect, or simply watch as the creation processes unfold in real time. Attendees are also encouraged to take part — grab a brush, join an activity, or add your own voice to the ongoing conversation.
In a world where A.I. and social media condition us to crave polished outcomes and instant gratification, Conversations in Progress invites you to reconnect with the beauty of the process — the focus, the struggle, the joy, and the dialogue between imagination and reality.
This is not just an exhibition. It’s an invitation to witness, to participate, and to create.