City Fine Arts Tour
Five of our best galleries featuring contemporary, historic and modern art worksTour Description & Details
Our day starts with a visit to two smaller galleries and the larger Auckland Art Gallery, all within easy walking distance of each other in central Auckland.
First up is the Gow Langsford Gallery which is a commercial art space committed to fostering and promoting the best contemporary art from New Zealand and abroad. It is one of the country’s most established galleries and is widely regarded as its most influential dealer gallery. Uniquely, it has two exhibition spaces, one on Lorne St. and the other directly opposite the Auckland Art Gallery in the historic St James Building.
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is the largest art institution in New Zealand, with a collection of over 15000 works. 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 works.
The gallery opened in 1888 and has element of both French Château style, and 21st century architecture. It was one of Auckland’s first civic buildings and is a Category 1 historic place, loved for its timeless beauty.
Heading south into the suburbs, we have two gallery options (or both if time permits) that are linear opposites in terms of history and architecture. The Pah Homestead, also known as the TSB Bank Wallace Arts Centre is a magnificent historic home that currently houses the James Wallace Art Trust’s collection of New Zealand art, valued at NZ$50 million. Built in 1877 it was one of the largest and most expensive houses ever built in the colony and is today listed as a Category I heritage structure.
Last but by no means least is the stunning contemporary Te Uru Gallery in Titirangi, only a few minutes from our home! The name Te Uru makes reference to Te Hau a Uru, the wind that blows from the west, a powerful characteristic of the region and an important story for local Māori. The gallery reopened in 2014 in the multi award winning building designed by Mitchell & Stout Architects, offering extraordinary exhibitions and spectacular views of the surrounding area.
Tour Time: 9.30am – 5.30pm
Tour includes:
- Five* of Auckland’s best galleries
- Pick up and drop from inner city
- Minimum two adults on this tour
Prices
Adult: $170
Child 5 to 11 years: $70
Tour lasts for: 8 hours
Starts at: 9.30am
Finish at: 5.30pm
*Some galleries are closed on particular days, but all efforts will be made to fill you tour with the best the Auckland art scene can provide.
If you prefer, or would like to add an exclusive tour to this itinerary, let us know and we can arrange a viewing of one of New Zealand’s finest private art collections displayed in an historic home right in the city, and a visit to the original residence of New Zealand’s foremost contemporary artist, Colin McCahon.
