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Artists’ Studios Re-open at The Arts Centre

News

Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre has reinstated the tradition of open artists’ studios, where the public can watch artists at work. The open studios were a popular feature of The Arts Centre before the Canterbury earthquakes.

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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.

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.

Terms & conditions

DONATION TERMS & CONDITIONSAll donations are non-refundable.

Collected Memories: Time, place, and the human condition.

Thursday 6 November 2025 - Saturday 31 January 2026

The human brain encodes and stores memories of everything we do, say, see, hear and experience. For the most part, we can recall memories when we need them, or want them, making memory recall a fundamental cognitive function in learning new information; undertaking everyday tasks; and developing a sense of self. In Collected Memories. Time, place, and the human condition, Laurence Aberhart; Jordan Barnes; Isla Huia; Hannah Kidd, and Elizabeth Moyle all respond to the exhibition’s theme from their own unique understanding, perspective, and creative interpretation.

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Our Cultural Narrative and Name

About Us

It weaves together the cultural values, traditions and history of Ngāi Tūāhuriri in whose takiwā (district) we stand. It recognises the rights and guarantees provided under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and respects the mana of the local hapū, iwi and all peoples who call this land home.

Rising Stars Concert Series 2025

On specific Tuesdays

Rising Stars is a Tuesday lunchtime concert series that focuses on encouraging, nurturing and providing a performance platform for emerging young musicians.

Te Pūrākau o Tiki Rāua ko Tūtānekai

Artworks

Title of artwork: Te Pūrākau o Tiki Rāua ko Tūtānekai