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 : Elisabeth AngelREFINERY ARTSPACE
Mana Toi Mana Tāngata
This exhibition brings together Toi Māori artists from across Te Tauihu whose work reflects both traditional foundations and contemporary expression. Here, ancestral knowledge and modern practice sit alongside one another — a living conversation between past, present, and future.
Each work carries its own story. Some speak through form and movement, others through colour, texture, and emotion. Together they create an experience grounded in whakapapa, connection, and wairua.
Āwhio is a collective. The strength of this exhibition lies not in any single work, but in the many voices it holds — artists creating within community, supporting one another, and sharing their practice as a collective expression of Toi Māori.
E hara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini. Our success is not of one, but of many.
17th March—18th April
Artists Talk 25th April 5.30 - 7pm.
Photo credit: Salome Fa'aso'oTUKU Whakatū 26
An Evening with Kia Ngāwari
Donation/koha. Bookings required. Email kapahakakiangawari@gmail. com to book spaces.
This evening offers a rich celebration of kapa haka, beginning with the viewing and revisiting of archived performances, Kia Ngāwari that captures the depth, history, and the evolution of the Club. These recordings provide an opportunity to acknowledge those who have come before. This experience will then bring us into the present with a live performance by Kia Ngāwari where the Club transforms reflection into living expression.
27th March 5.30 - 8pm
Rewa Rise
Donation/koha. Bookings required. Email donna_mcleod64@yahoo.co.nz to book spaces.
Rewa Rise is a new anthology pukapuka publication celebrating Maori writers in Te Waipounamu. From renowned writers Stef Harris and Mat Calman to exciting new writers Miriana Stephens and Marli Andersen. From film maker Douglas Brooks to rangatahi voice Ihipera Hippolyte Broughton. This book celebration is a wonderful opportunity to hear Maori voices in our literature landscape. Facilitated by editors Renee Kahukura Losefa and Donna McLeod
15th April 5.30 - 7pm
A VR walkthrough proudly supported by our partners Uniquely Nelson…
Contributing Author Liani Ahere from Mana Toi Mana TāngataRAW 25
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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