Heralded in 1888 as 'the first permanent Art Gallery in the
Dominion', Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki remains the
largest art institution in New Zealand, with a collection
numbering over 15,000 works.
Overview
These include major holdings of New Zealand historic, modern and
contemporary art, and outstanding works by Māori and Pacific Island
artists, as well as European painting, sculpture and print
collections ranging in date from 1376 to the present day.
The developed Gallery sits adjacent to Albert Park in central
Auckland.
View video of the Gallery
The Main Gallery
The Main Gallery, designed by Melbourne architects John H.
Grainger and Charles A. D'Ebro in 'French Château style' opened in
1887 as Auckland City's Free Public Library and Municipal Offices.
The part of the building devoted to the Gallery opened a year later
on 17 February 1888.
By its centenary the Art Gallery had taken over the
entire building which was by now considerably enlarged, the City
Offices and the Library having moved to new premises nearby.
After six years of construction and three of building, the main
Gallery building reopened on September 3 2011. Click
here for more information.
The NEW Gallery
The NEW Gallery, across the road from the main building, opened
in October 1995, due to the generosity of the Auckland Contemporary
Art Trust. The building was originally designed as a telephone
exchange and was extensively remodelled into contemporary art
galleries by architects David Mitchell and Julie Stout.
The NEW Gallery closed to the public on 14 August 2011 ahead of
the opening of the developed main gallery building.