Dunedin Public Art Gallery

07/09/2026

He roimata ua, he roimata tangata

The team at Dunedin Public Art Gallery extend their condolences to the whānau of Barry Cleavin ONZM (18 December 1939 – 1 September 2026). One of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most acclaimed printmakers, Cleavin lived a life shaped by his art and the world around him. Born in Ōtepoti Dunedin, Cleavin’s life as an artist took him on journeys across the country and throughout the world. His work was insightful, political and immediately recognisable, and he was an erudite and much-admired member of our creative community. His legacy will remain in many works held in museums and private collections both home and abroad. Moe mai rā e te Rangatira.

Image: Barry Cleavin photographed by Peter Bannan.

25/08/2026

This week’s Artpost celebrates the acquisition of Frances Hodgkins’ watercolour The Bridge (c. 1907–08), recently bequeathed to the collection.

[Image: Frances Hodgkins The Bridge c.1907-08. Watercolour on paper on strawboard. Collection of Dunedin Public Art Gallery. Bequeathed 2025 by Joan Mayes.]

From its establishment in 1884 to the present moment, the Dunedin Public Art Gallery collection has been shaped by a vast network of people who have believed in, supported, and invested in its future. This includes works of art that have been generously gifted to the collection, as well as the pr...

04/08/2026

📣We’re now open for the remainder of today and close at 5pm. Thanks for your understanding and patience. 😊 Warm welcomes (and rooms) await you!

03/08/2026

Due to the weather conditions, the Gallery will remain closed until midday and then review the situation.
We’ll share a further update then.

Image: Petrus van der Velden 'Dutch Snow Scene c. 1877.
Collection of the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. Gifted 1914 by Judge Ward.

06/07/2026

This week’s Artpost celebrates our recently opened interactive exhibition, And then…
The exhibition invites visitors of all ages to become storytellers. Inspired by Choose Your Own Adventure books, it encourages people to select artworks, build their own narratives, and share them with others.
Along the way, visitors can collect illustrated cards featuring the artworks and use them to create their own stories. Many of the works are small in scale, rewarding those who take the time to lean in and look closely.
The experience is completely free, and visitors are welcome to take their cards home to continue the storytelling experience.
Read the full article at the link below.
[Image: SASKIA LEEK Summertime 1 (Bicycle) 1999. Acrylic and varnish on board. Collection of Dunedin Public Art Gallery. Purchased 2025 with funds from Dunedin Public Art Gallery Society.]

Whenever I begin a new exhibition, I hold to a simple philosophy shaped by my teaching background: I imagine being in the gallery with visitors. I think about what I might ask them to do, what they might notice, and how the artworks might spark conversation. My intention is to create a space where l...

30/06/2026

This week’s Artpost features all the activities on offer at the Gallery during the upcoming July school holidays.

Find the details below, and view the full programme on our website: dunedin.art.museum

The year is coming to a close. Temperatures have cooled, and our focus has drawn upwards to the glimmering night skies. Over the coming weeks many of us will be gathering with loved ones to reflect on the past year and share sustenance through kōrero and kai. We invite you to huddle in the warmth ...

26/05/2026

Special Live Music Performance
With members of ‘Koile & guest musician Va

To close off NZ Music Month 2026, members of local Pasifika band, ‘Koile will perform a set in the Staying Power exhibition. Hiliako, Teu, Nio and Rangitakau will be joined by guest musician, Va to share some original and traditional songs from their repertoire of oceanic grooves.

Dunedin Public Art Gallery

FREE 3pm Sunday 31 May

25/05/2026

This week’s Artpost focuses on the exhibition Imogen Taylor: From Behind. It explores the themes running through the exhibition and takes a closer look at one work in particular: Horse.
See the link below for the full article.

Imogen Taylor: From Behind is on at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery until 13 September 2026.

[above: Imogen Taylor Horse 2026. Acrylic and dishcloth on canvas.Courtesy the artist and Lett Thomas, Auckland]

The exhibition Imogen Taylor: From Behind, which brings together a group of paintings produced by Imogen Taylor in Aotearoa New Zealand and London over the last four years, is currently on at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. Curated by Dr Kirsty Baker and developed by City Gallery Wellington Te Wh...

18/05/2026

Our warmest congratulations to Rudi Baur, founder and winemaker of Quartz Reef Wines, who has been awarded The Real Review Vigneron of the Year in The Real Review’s Top Wineries of New Zealand Awards. Quartz Reef was also recognised as one of New Zealand’s Top 5 Wineries.
Quartz Reef Wines has been the Gallery’s wine sponsor for more than 20 years, and we are delighted to see Rudi and Quartz Reef celebrated in this way.
It is so well deserved!

11/05/2026

Please note that Tour for Tots, scheduled for Tuesday 12 May at 10:15am, has been cancelled.

WE SINCERELY APOLOGISE FOR THE SHORT NOTICE AND ANY INCONVENIENCE.