He Waka Tuia

09/09/2026

One hundred works.
Seven decades.
A collection shaped by spring.

For more than seven decades, spring has marked an important moment in the exhibition history of the Invercargill Public Art Gallery.

First held in 1951, the Annual Spring Exhibition became a cornerstone of the gallery calendar, with artists from across Aotearoa submitting work each October.

Over time, works from these exhibitions became part of the gallery’s collection. Today, acquisitions from the Annual Spring Exhibition account for more than ten percent of the collection.

Our current exhibition, Spring: What We Kept, brings together 100 of these works, spanning seven decades of exhibitions, artists and acquisitions. It traces the history of the Annual Spring Exhibition from Anderson House through its evolution into the ILT Murihiku Art Awards, a collaboration between the Invercargill Public Art Gallery and the Southland Art Society.

From bold paintings to delicate glass and ceramic works, the exhibition reflects the breadth and variety of art collected through the decades. Come and explore the works, and discover what we kept.

📌 Showing until 27 September
Mon-Fri 10am-5pm
Sat-Sun 11am-2.30pm

28/08/2026

And that's a wrap!

We have had an absolute blast at Miharo Murihiku Polyfest 2026.

With over 500 people stopping by to check out our exhibition of 'Tuoro' by Teokotai Paitai, and try their hand at print making with Numa MacKenzie, its been a full on couple of days.

A huge thank you to the wonderful team at Miharo, their team of volunteers and the staff at Stadium Southland for their amazing mahi in pulling this exceptional event together, and for letting us be part of it ❤️

Our bellies, hearts and creative cups are full!

26/08/2026

Some of our team are down at Miharo Murihiku Polyfest today, supporting the free printing workshops with Numa MacKenzie in the squash courts.

Naturally we had to give it a go ourselves and can assure you it's as fun as it looks!

Make sure you pop along if your visiting Polyfest today or tomorrow.

25/08/2026

Do you remember the Annual Spring Exhibition, held each October at Anderson House?

Or perhaps you've visited the ILT Murihiku Art Awards at He Waka Tuia?

If so, 'Spring: What We Kept' will feel like being reunited with a group of old friends.

Read More: https://www.icc.govt.nz/news-events/01-news?item=id:2zau5nrtw1cxbyi6smb7

24/08/2026

Who else is excited for this?! 🙋🤩

Only two more sleeps until artist Numa Mackenzie’s free printing workshops at Murihiku Polyfest!

Just bring a favourite piece of clothing and get it transformed into a wearable piece of art with Numa.

🎟️ Free! But koha is gratefully accepted
📅 Thursday 27 & Friday 28 August, 10AM-2PM
📍 ILT Stadium Southland
Spaces are limited, so make sure you register by emailing [email protected]

👇 Find out more about the workshops by reading Miharo Murihiku's post down below

Kia orana kōtou kātoatoa! 🌺

🎨👕 NUMA MACKENZIE IS COMING TO MURIHIKU POLYFEST!

We are VERY excited to welcome the incredible Numangatini (Numa) Mackenzie to Murihiku Polyfest 2026! 💜

In collaboration with our friends at He Waka Tuia Numa will be joining us at ILT Stadium Southland for two days of creative workshops, giving our community an awesome opportunity to learn, create and connect alongside an artist whose practice spans graf, tatau, mixed media and Pacific storytelling 🌺

BRING IT. CREATE IT. WEAR IT.
Bring along a favourite piece of clothing from home, a t-shirt, hoodie, jacket, jeans or something that could do with a fresh new look!

Rather than buying new, these workshops are all about getting creative with what we already have. Upcycle, reimagine and transform your clothing into something unique to you, a fun, creative and more eco-friendly way to breathe new life into the pieces sitting in our wardrobes.

Numa will provide all the supplies you need to get creative and print onto your own clothing, transforming them into something completely unique to you 🌱♻️✨

💲 Free! But koha is gratefully accepted
📅 Thursday 27 August & Friday 28 August
⏰ 10am – 2pm
📍 ILT Stadium Southland

Spaces are limited and we expect these workshops to fill FAST!
To register, simply email [email protected] 📩

👉🏽 About Numa Mackenzie

"Interdisciplinary artist Numangatini Mackenzie works in graf, tatau and mixed media installation. His practice centres on the exploration of urban space and the processes of building connections to his Pacific heritage and people. His research engages with literature on Oceanic art, museum collections as well as collaborations with living practitioners of art forms ranging from tatau, painting and spoken word to voyaging/navigation and street art."

https://www.instagram.com/numanaturesgentleman/

https://www.facebook.com/numanaturesgentleman/

22/08/2026

Pro tip: get yourself a curator who isn't afraid of heights.

Today a squash court became our gallery space as we installed our beautiful work Tuoro by Teokotai Paitai at Stadium Southland.

This is up for the week to celebrate Miharo Murihiku Polyfest 2026.

Make sure you check it out!

21/08/2026

We are excited to be collaborating with our friends from Miharo Murihiku, along with artists Te'Okotā'i Paitai and Numangatini Mackenzie, at Polyfest 2026.

We hope to see you there!

Read more: https://www.icc.govt.nz/news-events/01-news?item=id:2z9kek6jf1cxby3vq625

19/08/2026

It's day 3 of our changeover week and we are getting more and more excited to welcome you back to our gallery!

Our team is now putting up a hundred works for our Spring: What We Kept exhibition. These works were acquired over seven decades since 1951.

📌 Showing Sat 22 August - Sun 27 September

18/08/2026

Spring carries many connotations - renewal, growth and change.

For the Invercargill Public Art Gallery, it has long signalled the Annual Spring Exhibition. First held at Anderson House in 1951, the exhibition became a cornerstone of the gallery calendar, drawing hundreds of entries and building anticipation each October.

Works were selected from submissions across Aotearoa and exhibited throughout the halls and rooms of Anderson Park Art Gallery for four weeks. Opening night became a local institution - crowds gathered in formal dress as red stickers quickly appeared across the walls, marking works sold. Outside, the gardens in full bloom provided a fitting seasonal backdrop to the exhibition within. After 62 years at Anderson House, its closure saw the exhibition relocate to City Gallery in a reduced form. As the gallery turned its attention to collection care and relocation, the awards paused before returning to He Waka Tuia in 2023.

In 2024, the Invercargill Public Art Gallery and the Southland Art Society recognised an opportunity to bring together the Annual Spring Exhibition and the ILT Art Awards, both then operating on a smaller scale. The result was the ILT Murihiku Art Awards - a collaborative model that united two long-standing programmes while continuing to evolve within the contemporary art landscape.

Across these changes, two constants remain: the exhibition’s place at the beginning of spring and its enduring role in shaping the Invercargill Public Art Gallery collection.

Since 1951, acquisitions from this exhibition have accounted for more than ten percent of the collection. They include award-winning works, invited artists and selected entries whose artistic merit and cultural significance have secured their place in Murihiku’s public collection.

Spring: What We Kept brings together 100 works acquired over seven decades. More than a survey of individual artworks, it reveals the collection as the result of an ongoing curatorial process of exhibition, selection, judgement and acquisition. It also acknowledges the funders, donors and benefactors whose generosity has helped build - and continues to shape - the collection we care for today.

𝑆𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔: 𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑊𝑒 𝐾𝑒𝑝𝑡
𝑆ℎ𝑜𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑆𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑑𝑎𝑦 22 𝐴𝑢𝑔𝑢𝑠𝑡 - 𝑆𝑢𝑛 27 𝑆𝑒𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟
𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑦