Arts Council
Nelson
At Arts Council Nelson, our mission is to promote, initiate and support projects and activities that stimulate and strengthen the artistic and cultural life of our communities.
YOUR LOCAL ART CONNECTOR
We work with individuals and organisations across our region to facilitate all kinds of creative opportunities.
What’s on at Refinery ArtSpace
photo credit : Mark HeathfieldREFINERY ARTSPACE
In Utero | Madison Carrol
In Utero presents a year of ceramic work by Madison Carroll, imagining life beyond our planet through alien-like floral forms. Blending careful observation with imagination, Carroll transforms natural patterns into hybrid, otherworldly organisms that feel both strange and familiar. Balancing science, creativity, and environmental reflection, the exhibition offers a visually striking and contemplative experience—at once intimate and expansive, grounded in the earth yet reaching toward other dimensions.
On until May 30th
photo credit : Mark HeathfieldPhoto credit: Mark HeathfieldSequential Selection
Samantha Stephens
Samantha Stephens presents her debut solo show Sequential Selection bringing together work driven by a desire to hold multiple meanings, embrace ambiguity, and carry an undercurrent of humour—offering a release from the often overly serious tone of the art world while still acknowledging the weight of an unsettling reality. Combining earlier print works, now reframed as socio-political commentary, with new paintings that mimic the aesthetic of printed text, the artist draws on personal reflections, conversations, and cultural fragments.
On until 30th May
Proud To Be Gay! 40 Years Out from Homosexual Law Reform
Specially curated for Whakatū Pride 2026, Proud To Be Gay! is an exhibition featuring, and of course celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Homosexual Law Reform in New Zealand. Bringing together historical photographs, archival footage from the protests and video interviews with some of the frontline activists, this exhibition is an honouring of the legacy of the power of protest
On until May 30th
Refinery ArtSpace
Refinery ArtSpace is committed to stimulating and strengthening the artistic and cultural life of Whakatu, supporting a diverse programme of engaging community-driven and/or contemporary exhibitions, projects and events.
Comprising three adaptable gallery spaces and two large workshop facilities, Refinery ArtSpace is also the home to the Arts Council Nelson Team.
What We Do
Nelson Clay Week
Ceramists from across Aotearoa come together to learn, teach, build new connections and celebrate all things clay in a biannual festival.
Nelson Jewellery Week
A biannual celebration of contemporary jewellery in Aotearoa, for makers, wearers, and viewers.
Changing Threads
The annual National Contemporary Textile Fibre Art Awards, celebrating artists who stretch the boundaries of fibre and textile art.
Community Arts
We support and promote community arts opportunities across the Te Tauihu region, including administering funding and offering advice.
Make It Nelson
Make It Nelson is a curated programme of hands-on workshops running throughout June 2026 in Whakatū Nelson.
Arts Development Agency
We are transitioning to a future-focused development agency to better support the region.
Social Media
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