Featured Events in Auckland in August, 2025 (May Updated)

On loan from the Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio, A Century of Modern Art offers a sweeping survey of the visionary painters who transformed modern art. Be dazzled by the much-loved highlights of Toledo Museum of Art’s internationally-renowned collection, on display exclusively in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland from 7 June 2025. The collection includes 57 iconic works by 53 artists, such as Claude Monet, Edgar Degas and Vincent van Gogh, and premier examples by pioneering artists of the American and European avant-garde. A Century of Modern Art traces the birth of modern painting, beginning with the Impressionists in the 1860s, and follows its evolution through key movements such as PostImpressionism, Symbolism, Cubism, Surrealism, Constructivism, German Expressionism, Bauhaus, De Stijl, Precisionism, and Colour Field Painting and Abstract Expressionism. The exhibition include works by Paul Cezanne, Edgar Degas, Helen Frankenthaler, Édouard Manet, William Merritt Chase, Amedeo Modigliani, Berthe Morisot, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Camille Pissarro, Robert Rauschenberg, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Vincent van Gogh, James McNeill Whistler, among others. A Century of Modern Art showcases the diversity and innovation that defined modern art movements. From the emotive brushstrokes of Van Gogh to the evocative landscapes of Monet and Rauschenberg’s bold abstractions, these works not only revolutionised Western art history but continue to inspire new generations.

The Robertson Gift: Paths through Modernity celebrates the monumental gift of significant artworks from the collection of New York philanthropists Julian (1932–2022) and Josie Robertson (1943–2010) to the Gallery. The donation comprises 15 works by influential modern European artists, including Pierre Bonnard, Georges Braque, Paul Cezanne, Salvador Dalí, André Derain, Henri Fantin-Latour, Paul Gauguin, Fernand Léger, Henri Matisse, Piet Mondrian and Pablo Picasso. Beginning with the suggestive nude bodies of the late 19th century and ending with a monumental colour-field painting from the 1960s, The Robertson Gift: Paths through Modernity takes visitors on a journey through the major art movements of the modern era, including Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Fauvism, Cubism, Surrealism, and post-war abstraction. Featuring 49 paintings, prints, drawings and sculpture, the exhibition also includes visitor favourites from the permanent collection as well as loans and other important recent acquisitions, offering a broad survey of the best of late-19th- and early-to-mid 20th-century international art.

Across a career spanning more than 50 years Mark Adams (born 1949) has photographed Aotearoa New Zealand – its land, peoples and its complex, multilayered histories. His practice documents sites of significance across the country, including places where Captain James Cook and his crew came ashore on their visits in 1769 and the 1770s, and locations where Te Tiriti o Waitangi was signed in 1840. Over the decades, Adams has sustained a deep and ongoing engagement with subjects of interest. He has photographed whakairo Māori (Māori carving) both here and overseas and the work of celebrated tufuga tatatau, master tattoo artists, in Samoan communities in Tāmaki Makaurau for over 30 years. With Aotearoa as his tūrangawaewae (standing place), his images explore the migration of artistic and cultural practices across the globe and examine the role of museums and photography in this dynamic and ongoing cross-cultural exchange.

Jenny Holzer’s text works, called Truisms, were first executed as pithy and sometimes provocative slogans on the streets of New York in the late 1970s and early 1980s as stickers, t-shirts and posters, with the intention of taking art out of the museum and into public life. Holzer quickly converted these statements to the media of advertising and public communication with a series of pivotal LED signs, most famously in New York’s Times Square. Holzer’s use of electronic technology is, she says, motivated by ‘needing to be where people look’. Hanging suspended from the ceiling of the Gallery’s South Atrium, in STATEMENT – Truisms +, 2015 iconic statements like ‘ABUSE OF POWER COMES AS NO SURPRISE’ and ‘ENSURE THAT YOUR LIFE STAYS IN FLUX’ cascade and flash in speech-like pulsating rhythms and rainbow spectrums of colour, seemingly with a life of their own.

Taimoana | Coastlines explores the art of Aotearoa New Zealand, locating it within Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, the wider Pacific region. Taking the concept of the coast, or shoreline, as a starting point, the exhibition navigates a sea of ideas, offering multiple perspectives on New Zealand art through a selection of works from the collection of Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. The coast is central to the way of life of many in Aotearoa New Zealand and it has been throughout our entire history. Integral to te ao Māori, the Māori world, the interconnectedness of land and sea is reflected in cultural narratives and practices. The coast is at times a source of sustenance and employment, at others a route for travel, a space of recreation, conflict, well-being or inspiration, but also, as the climate continues to change, at the frontline of danger. The coast is a threshold, an in-between zone, a perpetually shifting meeting point of land and sea that prompts us to examine our relationships with both. In this exhibition, artists from the 18th century to today ride the oceans’ currents, traversing themes from the enormity of the Pacific to the vessels that have crossed its expanse and plied Aotearoa’s coasts, and exploring their personal responses to the shore as well as the legacies of colonial encounters and conflict.

Representations of tūpuna, ancestors, hold profound significance in te ao Māori, the Māori world. They embody customary cultural values including mana, tapu and mauri (prestige, sacredness and life force) and hold the ancestral ties of whakapapa. For centuries, representations of tūpuna were given form through whakairo (carving). The mediums of painting and photography were adopted from the mid-19th century for this purpose, with these new forms of portraiture congregating among or standing in place of whakairo in whare tūpuna (ancestral meeting houses) and their modern equivalents. Ngā Taonga Tūturu: Treasured Māori Portraits brings together whakairo and oil paintings from the collection of Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, offering insights into the significance of tūpuna representations within te ao Māori. ‘Ngā taonga’ means many treasures while ‘tūturu’ signifies something permanent, true and original. This exhibition considers the inherent cultural values embodied and expressed within and through these taonga from a te ao Māori view. One of the most prolific portraitists of the late 19th and early 20th-century, Gottfried Lindauer’s paintings acknowledge the mana and self-determination of tūpuna through his respectful evocation of their likeness. They were widely commissioned by Māori and Pākehā (European New Zealander) alike. The portraits in this exhibition radiate outwards from Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, representing iwi (tribe) and hapū (subtribe) from throughout the motu (island). Recalling a whare tupuna, the gallery resonates with the mauri of these tūpuna.

Book yourself in for this small and relaxing botanical art experience!All Materials Supplied - No Experience NecessaryAuckland Wintergardens Botanical Artist, Jennifer Duval-Smith will guide you through this fun and explorative practice which is suitable for all levels of confidence. Leave feeling more connected to your creative self and the natural world. In this workshop you will use easy nature journaling principles to observe and capture a plant subject, allowing plenty of scope and botanical interest for all levels of confidence. You will learn tried and tested methods with simple prompts and accessible strategies to draw a botanical subject and capture natural detail. This class will meet at the beautifully renovated Temperate House at the Auckland Wintergardens and then move to work at a secure behind-the-scenes location at the Domain Nurseryto observe specimens which have been curated for us by our expert Domain Curator team. Your workshop fee includes: • A three hour botanical art workshop • Morning tea and coffee • All materials including paper, pencils, clipboard, watercolour pencils and brushes. You are welcome to bring your own materials • A donation to Friends of the Domain for their generous support Important to know: Numbers for each workshop are strictly limited to 10 for maximum interaction. Please double check your workshop date to avoid disappointment. Cancellations: As the class is small and we are unlikely to be able to fill a last minute spot cancellations within seven days of the event are non-refundable. Replacement attendees will be very welcome. Accessibility: Please note that this series is unfortunately not wheelchair accessible in this instance, due to steep paths and stairs in the venue. What is the Wintergardens Botanical Art Workshop Series? In 2025 Jennifer will be running eight small group botanical art workshops at the Domain featuring a range of fascinating subjects to highlight the amazing work and plant collection of the Wintergardens.See the collection of events here on Eventbrite for more information or check out www.jenniferduval-smith.com About your tutor: Jennifer is a professional botanical artists and illustrator. Her mission is to reconnect people to nature and help them express their creativity in their own individual way. She has served as artist-in-residence at Auckland Botanic Gardens and teaches at Te Uru Contemporary Gallery. She has exhibited internationally and was selected to represent New Zealand as part of the Botanical Art Worldwide Exhibition 2018 and 2025. You can see more at www.jenniferduval-smith.com Student Feedback on Jennifer's previous botanical art classes: “Today was both a treat and a real privilege! Thank you for your time and expertise… I learnt a great deal. The pace was perfect and I loved the sensory extension…” A lovely atmosphere generated by Jennifer's joy in botanical art and her ability to include and enthuse students I love Jennifer's teaching style very clear, well structured but relaxed, positive, encouraging and informative “Jennifer was awesome, took us through step by step, especially about the observation aspect and construction of the subject, I would go to her classes again.” This class will change how I approach drawing, for the better I discovered that I really enjoyed the act of focused observation… I know that attempting to draw something will make me much better acquainted with my subject’s characteristics. The guide was excellent and I will use that going forward - especially useful for me when trying to articulate what makes a plant different from a somewhat similar variety. Click now to book! Information Source: Jennifer Duval-Smith Botanical Art | eventbrite

2025 Art Salon Guided Tours lRegistration Required* Join our free guided tour and explore a stunning collection of artworks in a peaceful and inspiring setting. Learn the stories behind each piece and enjoy a relaxing journey through creativity and culture. 📅 Art Salon Session 1: 16 August - 27 September 🕒 Gallery Hours: Tue-Sun, 9:30am - 3:00pm 🗣Tour Times: 11am & 1pm 📌Venue: 16 Stancombe Road, Flat Bush, Auckland Don’t miss this inspiring event filled with beauty, imagination and local talent. Mark your calendar and prepare for an unforgettable art experience! A gentle reminder that the Temple dress code requires long pants or long skirts. Stay tuned for more information at https://www.facebook.com/fgsnz #2025ArtSalon #SupportLocalArtists #NewZealandArt #FosteringHarmonyThroughArts #FGYArtgallery Information Source: Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery Auckland | eventbrite

Book yourself in for this small and relaxing botanical art experience!All Materials Supplied - No Experience NecessaryAuckland Wintergardens Botanical Artist, Jennifer Duval-Smith will guide you through this fun and explorative practice which is suitable for all levels of confidence. Leave feeling more connected to your creative self and the natural world. In this workshop you will use easy nature journaling principles to observe and capture a plant subject, allowing plenty of scope and botanical interest for all levels of confidence. You will learn tried and tested methods with simple prompts and accessible strategies to draw a botanical subject and capture natural detail. This class will meet at the beautifully renovated Temperate House at the Auckland Wintergardens and then move to work at a secure behind-the-scenes location at the Domain Nurseryto observe specimens which have been curated for us by our expert Domain Curator team. Your workshop fee includes: • A three hour botanical art workshop • Morning tea and coffee • All materials including paper, pencils, clipboard, watercolour pencils and brushes. You are welcome to bring your own materials • A donation to Friends of the Domain for their generous support Important to know: Numbers for each workshop are strictly limited to 10 for maximum interaction. Please double check your workshop date to avoid disappointment. Cancellations: As the class is small and we are unlikely to be able to fill a last minute spot cancellations within seven days of the event are non-refundable. Replacement attendees will be very welcome. Accessibility: Please note that this series is unfortunately not wheelchair accessible in this instance, due to steep paths and stairs in the venue. What is the Wintergardens Botanical Art Workshop Series? In 2025 Jennifer will be running eight small group botanical art workshops at the Domain featuring a range of fascinating subjects to highlight the amazing work and plant collection of the Wintergardens.See the collection of events here on Eventbrite for more information or check out www.jenniferduval-smith.com About your tutor: Jennifer is a professional botanical artists and illustrator. Her mission is to reconnect people to nature and help them express their creativity in their own individual way. She has served as artist-in-residence at Auckland Botanic Gardens and teaches at Te Uru Contemporary Gallery. She has exhibited internationally and was selected to represent New Zealand as part of the Botanical Art Worldwide Exhibition 2018 and 2025. You can see more at www.jenniferduval-smith.com Student Feedback on Jennifer's previous botanical art classes: “Today was both a treat and a real privilege! Thank you for your time and expertise… I learnt a great deal. The pace was perfect and I loved the sensory extension…” A lovely atmosphere generated by Jennifer's joy in botanical art and her ability to include and enthuse students I love Jennifer's teaching style very clear, well structured but relaxed, positive, encouraging and informative “Jennifer was awesome, took us through step by step, especially about the observation aspect and construction of the subject, I would go to her classes again.” This class will change how I approach drawing, for the better I discovered that I really enjoyed the act of focused observation… I know that attempting to draw something will make me much better acquainted with my subject’s characteristics. The guide was excellent and I will use that going forward - especially useful for me when trying to articulate what makes a plant different from a somewhat similar variety. Click now to book! Information Source: Jennifer Duval-Smith Botanical Art | eventbrite