Dunedin arts directory

Last updated April 2nd 2010

For a city of 120,000 people, Dunedin has a startling number of galleries. Below is a list of galleries and studios around the area that are regularly open to the public, with weblinks where possible. More galleries and links will be added to this list as time allows and as I find them.

A major problem with this sort of list is knowing where to draw the line between galleries and 'house beautiful' shops. The decision will always be arbitrary, but I have tried to be as consistent as possible. I have also not listed jewellery studios (of which there are several) in the main part of the list unless they are also regular hosts to other art media. I have, however, listed these separately under each regional list. I have also not listed photographers' galleries and studios, of which there are a considerable number.

A second problem is that for every studio that is regularly open, there are several others open by appointment only. There is too little space on this page to list all of these here - instead I suggest you look at the Otago Arts Trust's excellent Otago Arts Guide.

Many of Dunedin's galleries are within a small part of the city around and just to the south of the city centre (the area shown on the map). These galleries are marked with an asterisk and number in the list, and by a corresponding number on the map. The remainder are listed with their direction and (straight-line) distance from the city centre (the Octagon, at Ed/Ee/Fd/Fe on the map). Most of these galleries offer works for sale (the major exceptions are the Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Hocken Library, and the two museums).

An indication of how concentrated this art district is can be gained from the fact that a two kilometre walk from the Queen's Gardens (the green area in the map's lower centre) up Dowling Street, along Princes Street to the Octagon, down lower Stuart Street to Anzac Square (the confusingly named triangular green area to the right of the map) and back to Queen's Gardens will take you past or within 100 metres of a dozen or so of the galleries listed below, and about a dozen more jewellers, cafés and other shops which sell art. Of particular note are Dowling Street, which contains three of the city's top galleries within one 200 metre block, and one quadrant of Moray Place, which contains several galleries, at least one café that displays and sells art, and also arguably the city's top jeweller's studios.

I've divided galleries in the surrounding district into areas according to direction from the city centre. (To the south lies open ocean - not many galleries there). Distances shown are straight line distances. With any luck I may someday add a directory of other galleries throughout the whole of Otago Province, but that will be some way in the future.

PLEASE NOTE - This list is not updated regularly, and studios come and go with alarming regularity. The appearance or non-appearance of a gallery's name on this list is not to be taken as an automatic assumption that a gallery does or does not exist; neither are the details as listed for the gallery to be taken as Gospel. The list is as accurate as possible as at the date that this page was last updated - no more, no less.

Dunedin: Inner city galleries
Dunedin: Suburban galleries

Environs: N-NE (Port Chalmers, Waitati, West Harbour)
Environs: E-SE (Otago Peninsula)
Environs: SW-W-NW (Green Island, Mosgiel, East Taieri, Brighton)

Oamaru and North Otago
South Otago

Dunedin: Inner City Galleries

Note: The locations of galleries within the map area shown above are indicated by the letter codes shown after the asterisks.

The Artist's Room (Dowling Street, *Fh). Dealer gallery, with regular exhibitions.
The Art Station (Anzac Square, *Lf). Home of the Otago Art Society, with regular exhibitions.
The Back Window (Upper Moray Place, *De). This small artspace is literally a window onto the street, and is designed to show off one or two pieces of (usually) modern art. It is part of the Dunedin Public Art Gallery (qv).
Blue Oyster Gallery (Upper Moray Place, *Df). Emphasis is on more avant-garde and experimental art, with regular exhibitions.
Brett McDowell Gallery (Dowling Street, *Fj). Dealer gallery (until recently the Marshall Seifert Gallery) with regular exhibitions.
Collaborations Gallery (High Street/Dunbar Street, *Jg).Painting gallery run by two local artists. May no longer be active.
Community Gallery (Normally at Princes Street, *Ee, but currently at temporary premises in Moray Place, *Gc). Run by the City Council for exhibitions by local artists and community groups.
Dunedin Public Art Gallery (The Octagon, *Ee). One of the finest collection of works in the South Pacific, both from New Zealand and overseas. Host of frequent large touring exhibitions. Housed in an impressive new building in the city centre.
Gallery De Novo (Lower Stuart Street, *He). Dealer gallery, with regular exhibitions.
Hocken Library (Anzac Avenue, 1200m ENE of city centre). The Hocken Library is one of New Zealand's most important archival libraries, and is part of Otago University. It has an extensive range of art and presents regular exhibitions.
Jetty Street Studio Gallery (Jetty Street, 600m S of city centre). Small newly opened gallery attached to the studio of a local painter. Aim is for exhibitions by both this and other artists.
Milford Galleries (Dowling Street, *Eh). At the upper end of Dunedin's Dealer galleries, with regular exhibitions.
Monumental Gallery (Anzac Avenue, *Md). New art space lying off the street behind a cafe, aiming to specialise in sculpture.
Moray Gallery (Princes Street, *Ef). Dealer gallery, with regular exhibitions.
Nevill Studios (Crawford Street, *El). Dealer gallery. Nevill Studios' principal trade is framing and prints, but they do have frequent exhibitions by local artists.
None Gallery (Stafford Street, 600m SSW of city centre). Occasional experimental gallery run in collaboration with several new young artists.
Otago Museum (Great King Street, 900m NNE of city centre). The southern South Island's principal museum. Extensive collections of natural history, Polynesian and world history and archaeology. Hosts frequent touring exhibitions.
Otago Polytechnic School of Art(Albany Street, 1300m NE of city centre). Permanent exhibition plus occasional other exhibitions are on display at the polytech's art school, situated at the eastern end of Albany Street. The polytech has recently opened a new gallery space onsite, the School of Art Gallery.
Otago Settlers Museum (Queens Gardens, *Gk). Opposite the end of Dowling Street. Museum dedicated to the history of the settlement of Dunedin and province of Otago, with particular emphasis on early European settlement. Occasional exhibitions of art and related work.
Printmakers Studio (Castle Street, *Ke). Studio/Gallery of local fine arts printery collective.
Quadrant Gallery (Moray Place, *Ef). Dealer gallery run by local jeweller, specialising in three-dimensional art and jewellery.
Rocda(Princes Street, *Ef). Run by a local artist. Small gallery with regular individual and group exhibitions..
Sew Hoy Gallery (Stafford Street, 650m SSW of city centre). Occasional gallery and performance space upstairs in Sew Hoy Building, not far from None Gallery (listed above).
The Strip Gallery (Hanover Street, 450m NE of city centre). As with the Back Window (qv), this is a small gallery presenting a handful of works directly to the street. It is run from the premises of Artzone, central Dunedin's main art supplies shop.
Temple Gallery (Upper Moray Place, *Df). Hidden from view above the street in the city's old synagogue. Dealer gallery, with regular exhibitions.

There are numerous fine arts jewellers worth mentioning, with work handcrafted on the premises. These include Lure and Contemporary Jewellery (Lower Stuart St, *Ge and *He respectively), Tony Williams (Upper Moray Place, *Df), and Koru Art & Jade (corner Lower Stuart Street and Anzac Square, *Kf). Also worth mentioning are Stuart Street Ceramics & Textiles, also in Lower Stuart Street (*Je).

Several local cafés and shops also have art displays on their premises, notably Arc Café (High Street, *Ck); Croque-o-dile Café and Visual Intelligence Tattoo Studio (Princes Street, *Dh and *Ef respectively); The Percolator (Lower Stuart Street, *Ge); WhiteRoom Design and Tangenté (Upper Moray Place, *Df and *Cd respectively); The Fix (Frederick Street, 500m NE of the city centre); and The Strictly Coffee Company (Albion Place, 400m NE of the city centre). Exhibitions are also occasionally held in the Dunedin Public Library in upper Moray Place (*Eb).

Artzone, mentioned with regard to The Strip Gallery (above) is also worthy of mention as central Dunedin's main arts suppliers and framers.

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Dunedin: Suburban Galleries

Gray's Studio (North Road, North East Valley, 3.5km NNE of city centre). Dealer gallery, with occasional exhibitions.
Renaissance Gallery and Sculpture Garden (Junction Road, Ravensbourne, 5km ENE of city centre).
Scapes Studio/Gallery (South Road, Caversham, 3.2km SW of city centre). Run by local potter (who also paints). Not surprisingly, mainly pottery, with some paintings.
36Red Gallery (North Road, North East Valley, 3.2km NNE of city centre).

Although not a gallery as such, the Dunedin Craft Centre (Kaikorai Valley Road, 3.5km SW of city centre) is worthy of mention. It runs tertiary courses in various visual arts and holds occasional exhibitions. Also worthy of mention is Mona Lisa Art Studio (cnr. of Taieri Road and Nairn Street, 1.8km NW of city centre), which is one of Dunedin's main arts suppliers and also hosts art classes and courses. Among cafés and shops to display art for sale on their premises, Mannequin Café (which is immediately below 36Red Gallery) is notable. Also worth mentioning is Jane Orr's fine arts jewellery studio in Albert Street, St. Clair (4.3km SW of the city centre).

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Galleries in the surrounding region:
Code letters in the following sections refer to places on the map to the right (Dunedin is at [A]).

Caveat: as I am less often in these areas, some of the information may be outdated.

N & NE (Port Chalmers, Waitati and beyond)

Port Chalmers is a town of some 4,000 people with a thriving arts community containing, among others, one of New Zealand's most widely respected artists, Ralph Hotere. Many other of the Port's residents work in both the visual arts and other arts fields, including several of Dunedin's best known musicians. Both it and Waitati have a strong 'alternative lifestyle' community. Further north from Waitati lie several small townships such as Karitane, Waikouaiti, and Palmerston. Note that several of these galleries keep unusual hours, so checking beforehand is necessary for the visitor!

Anchorage Gallery (George Street, Port Chalmers, 12km NE of Dunedin city centre [F]). Not sure if this is still operating - its gallery space was empty and looked like it was up for lease last time I was in Port Chalmers...
De Luxe Gallery (George Street, Port Chalmers, 12km NE of Dunedin city centre [F]).
Gallery on Blueskin (Harvey Street, Waitati, 15km NNE of Dunedin city centre [L]).
InPort Gallery (George Street, Port Chalmers, 12km NE of Dunedin city centre [F]).
Koputai Project Space (Beach Street, Port Chalmers, 12.5km NE of Dunedin city centre [F]).
Luminous (Milnes Court, off George Street, Port Chalmers, 12km NE of Dunedin city centre [F]).
Port Chalmers Design Store and Gallery (George Street, Port Chalmers, 12km NE of Dunedin city centre [F]).
Portmanteau (George Street, Port Chalmers, 12km NE of Dunedin city centre [F]).
Portsifika (George Street, Port Chalmers, 12km NE of Dunedin city centre [F]).
Studio 187 (Main Road, Waikouaiti, 40km NNE of Dunedin city centre [G]).
Shanley Studio and Gallery (Beach Street, Port Chalmers, 12.5km NE of Dunedin city centre [F]).
34th Gallery (Milnes Court, off George Street, Port Chalmers, 12km NE of Dunedin city centre [F]).

Port Chalmers' most notable fine arts jewellers studios are Koputai Jewellers and Silverfish in George Street. Other shops with strong arts links are The Crafty Banker and Port Royale Café in (you guessed it) George Street. Several local artists also have studios close to or on the main street, notably Philip Maxwell's studio in the heart of George Street and Chris Reid's Allez! photographic studio in Milnes Court.

More information is available from the Port Chalmers directory.

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E & SE (Otago Peninsula)

Otago Peninsula is mainly rural, but close enough to the city to be regarded as part of Dunedin's environs. This makes it a haven for 'alternative lifestylers' and - as with Port Chalmers - a strong artistic community, mainly centred around the townships of Macandrew Bay, Broad Bay, Portobello, and Otakou.

Bellamy's Gallery (Portobello Road, Macandrew Bay, 8km E of Dunedin city centre [E]).
Portobello Gallery (Portobello, 14km E of Dunedin city centre [J]).

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SW, W, and NW (Green Island, Mosgiel, East Taieri, Brighton)

To the southwest and west of Dunedin lie commuter towns such as Green Island and Fairfield, small coastal settlements such as Brighton, and the large rural service town of Mosgiel, which sits at the eastern edge of the Taieri Plain. Several smaller townships dot the plain, such as Outram, Henley, and Allanton. To the northwest of Dunedin is rough, sparsely populated hill country. There is some arts activity around the coastal settlements, but less elsewhere.

Green Island Gallery (cnr. Main South Road and Church St, Green Island, 6km WSW of Dunedin city centre [C]).
South Seas Gallery (Brighton Road, Brighton, 15km WSW of Dunedin city centre [D]).
Taieri Gallery (Gordon Road, Mosgiel, 14km W of Dunedin city centre [B]).
Wairongoa Estate Gallery (Wairongoa Rd, 14km WNW of Dunedin city centre).

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Oamaru and North Otago

North of Dunedin, the next major population centre of any real substance is the historic town of Oamaru, 120 kilometres to the north (reached via State Highway One - travel through Palmerston and then on the same distance again, and you're just about there). Oamaru is about one eighth the size of Dunedin, but has a strong arts community, much of it centred around the restored Victorian warehouse district at the south end of the town centre. Oamaru was the source of much of the quarried architectural stone during the boom years of Otago's gold rush, and the "Oamaru Stone" buildings are an impressive sight. Surrounding Oamaru is North Otago, a region which stretches from just north of Palmerston to the shore of the Waitaki River, a few kilometres north of Oamaru, and inland towards Ranfurly and Kurow. The following is not a comprehensive list of galleries in Oamaru and North Otago (I do not visit the area often enough to provide that), but merely lists some I know of. Oamaru and North Otago are not shown on the map above.

Forrester Gallery (Thames Street, Oamaru, 500m S of town centre).
Grainstore Gallery (Tyne Street, Oamaru, 700m S of town centre).
Harbourside Arts (Itchen Street, Oamaru, 600m S of town centre).
Ian Andersen Sculpture Gallery (Tyne Street, Oamaru, 700m S of town centre).
Livingstone Sculpture Gallery (Itchen Street, Oamaru, 600m S of town centre).
North Otago Art Society (Tyne Street, Oamaru, 800m S of town centre).

Prominent among local cafés as far as art displays are concerned is Emma's Café (Thames Street, Oamaru).

South Otago

Beyond Mosgiel, habitation becomes sparser, with several small towns dotting the plains and hills to the south and west. The two main towns in this area are Milton and Balclutha.

Framing Plus (Union Street, Milton, 50km SW of Dunedin city centre [H]).

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