Art by the River

06/09/2026

Could your work be on show at New Tides this November?

Entries are now open for New Tides 2026, inviting contemporary art from artists across Aotearoa New Zealand.

New Tides welcomes a broad range of media, from painting, drawing and photography to sculpture, ceramics, glass, textiles, mixed media and more. Selected works will come together in a professionally curated finalist exhibition at Art by the River in Whanganui from 21 November to 13 December.

Open to artists at all stages of their careers, New Tides has a particular focus on discovering and supporting emerging, early-career and transitioning artists. An established exhibition history is not required — the focus is on the work.

The $2,500 Art by the River Award includes a professional opportunity with the gallery, while every finalist is eligible for the $1,000 Audience Award.

Entries close 4 October 2026.

Full details and Entry Form: www.newtides.co.nz

(Image: Front Gallery at Art by the River with exhibition, Echoes of an Introvert by Lyndy Wilson Art)

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04/09/2026

Echoes of an Introvert is now open

Thank you to everyone who joined us last night for the opening of Lyndy Wilson's Echoes of an Introvert — and especially to Lyndy for sharing some of the stories and thinking behind this very personal exhibition.

It was a lovely evening and a chance to see the remarkable breadth of Lyndy's work together: atmospheric landscapes shaped by changing light and moods, florals connected with people and memories, and her distinctive figurative paintings.

The response on opening night was wonderful, with three works already finding new homes.

If you couldn't make it last night, Echoes of an Introvert is now open at Art by the River and continues until 27 September. There is plenty to discover in person — including works we haven't yet shared.

Echoes of an Introvert — Lyndy Wilson
4–27 September
Art by the River
1B Bell Street, Whanganui

View the exhibition:
https://www.artbytheriver.co.nz/exhibitions/echoes-of-an-introvert-by-lyndy-wilson/

03/09/2026

OPENING TONIGHT — Echoes of an Introvert by Lyndy Wilson

Tonight we open Lyndy Wilson's new exhibition, Echoes of an Introvert, and Lyndy will be joining us to talk about the work and some of the stories behind it.

Those stories can be very personal. Elsie's Camellias, for example, recalls an elderly neighbour from when Lyndy's children were young, whose large garden included a camellia hedge. She would let the children pick the flowers for their school Vaseline saucers, and the memory has stayed with Lyndy.

Years later, watching the camellias outside her studio begin to bloom still tells her that winter is nearly over and spring isn't far away.

It's just one of the memories, people and places that find their way into Echoes of an Introvert — an exhibition Lyndy has described as something of a visual diary.

Join us tonight from 5.30pm.
Lyndy will give a short artist talk at 5.45pm.

All welcome.

Echoes of an Introvert
Lyndy Wilson
4–27 September
Art by the River, 1B Bell Street, Whanganui
https://www.artbytheriver.co.nz/exhibitions/echoes-of-an-introvert-by-lyndy-wilson/

Please note: the gallery is closed during the day today while we prepare for tonight's opening. If you need to contact us, please call 021 287 4229.

03/09/2026

Echoes of an Introvert opens tomorrow

There is something particularly personal behind Lyndy Wilson's new exhibition.

Lyndy describes herself as an introvert, and painting gives her a way to communicate without necessarily having to put everything into words.

“Each painting serves as a bridge, a way to communicate without making a sound, a way to be seen while remaining safely hidden behind a canvas.”

Tomorrow evening, Lyndy will be joining us for the opening of Echoes of an Introvert and will give a short artist talk about the exhibition and the work behind it.

Friday, 4 September from 5.30pm
Artist talk 5.45pm
All welcome.

Art by the River
1B Bell Street, Whanganui
https://www.artbytheriver.co.nz/exhibitions/echoes-of-an-introvert-by-lyndy-wilson/

01/09/2026

We have a winner!

Competition 20 of Art Behind the Door has now closed, and the mystery artist was Kirsty White.

Congratulations to S. Weingott, who was drawn as the winner of our $100 Art by the River Gallery Voucher. Please get in touch with the gallery to collect your prize.

Thank you to everyone who entered — and well done to those who worked out the answer.

Competition 21 is open now, with a new artwork, a new artist and a new clue.

https://www.artbytheriver.co.nz/art-behind-the-door/competition-21/

31/08/2026

Echoes of an Introvert — Lyndy Wilson

Landscapes. Florals. Figures. A World Within.

This Friday we open Echoes of an Introvert, a new solo exhibition by Lyndy Wilson bringing together the remarkable breadth of her work.

From atmospheric river landscapes and expressive florals to distinctive figurative paintings, Lyndy moves confidently between very different subjects and styles. At the heart of the exhibition is something more personal — what Lyndy describes as a visual diary, exploring the things we experience and feel but don't always put into words.

Join us for the opening this Friday, 4 September at 5.30pm.
Lyndy will give a short artist talk at 5.45pm, sharing more about the exhibition and her work.

All welcome.

Echoes of an Introvert
Lyndy Wilson
4–27 September 2026
Art by the River, 1B Bell Street, Whanganui

View the exhibition https://www.artbytheriver.co.nz/exhibitions/echoes-of-an-introvert-by-lyndy-wilson/

30/08/2026

Entries are now open for New Tides 2026.

This is your invitation to be part of the first New Tides — a new national art competition and finalist exhibition celebrating contemporary art from across Aotearoa New Zealand.

New Tides is open to artists at every stage of their careers, with a particular focus on discovering and supporting emerging, early-career and transitioning artists.

Selected finalists will have their work exhibited at Art by the River in Whanganui this November, with two awards:

$2,500 Art by the River Award
plus a professional opportunity with the gallery

$1,000 Audience Award

You don't need an established exhibition history or a long CV. What matters is the work.

Entries are straightforward, and you can enter up to three artworks.

Entries close Sunday 4 October 2026.

Everything you need to enter is at www.newtides.co.nz

We'd love to see what you're creating.

28/08/2026

Last weekend for Lumina

Tomorrow is the final day of Luke Hollis' Lumina at Art by the River.

Over the past three weeks we've shared individual paintings, looked more closely at Luke's use of light, visited his studio and heard from Luke himself about his work.

But an exhibition is ultimately best seen as an exhibition — with all 18 paintings together in the gallery.

So, if you've been meaning to come in, tomorrow is your last chance.

Lumina — Luke Hollis
Final day: Sunday 30 August
Open 11am–3pm
Art by the River
1B Bell Street, Whanganui

The exhibition remains available to view online, and available works can be purchased through our website with shipping throughout New Zealand and internationally.

https://www.artbytheriver.co.nz/exhibitions/lumina-by-luke-hollis/

27/08/2026

Just 3 days until entries open for New Tides.

Thinking about entering? You can start getting ready now — and we've kept the entry process as easy as possible.

Head to www.newtides.co.nz to check the Eligibility & Rules and download the simple Entry Form. Then, once entries open:

• complete the form
• attach a clear image of your artwork
• email your entry
• pay the entry fee

That's it.

Whether you're at the beginning of your art career, taking it in a new direction, or have been exhibiting for years, we'd love to see what you're creating.

Entries open Monday 31 August.

Get your entry ready — and perhaps we'll see your work at New Tides this November.

www.newtides.co.nz