From artist-led non-profit collectives to public spaces that focus solely on the promotion and understanding of Māori artists and curators. These female-led galleries are reinvigorating Aotearoa’s art scene.
The journey to becoming a gallery director can be a long and winding road. These women talk about their experience – and
Ruth Buchanan of Artspace Aotearoa
Location: Karangahape Rd, Auckland City
About the gallery: An artist-led non-profit gallery
What led to your current role?
As an artist, I spent the previous decade running my studio out of Berlin. During this time, I developed new work for several significant galleries such as Tate Modern, Hamburger Bahnhof, Kunstmuseum Basel, and Govett-Brewster Art Gallery. After this, I felt compelled to test what could happen if an artist led a gallery for a long period of time.
What’s the concept behind Artspace Aotearoa?
We structure our annual programme around a question. Each year we ask a new question, which acts as an anchor, a window, a diving board, to developing the programme. This year it is: “Do I need territory?”, an important consideration at this highly dynamic geopolitical moment.
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Gathering your artist community, watching it develop and grow, is an important part of the role. What has that journey been like?
Having lived outside of Aotearoa for almost 19 years, it’s been a complex and exciting experience stepping into this role two years ago. The intimate scale of our community means I’ve had the opportunity to connect with a huge range of artists from many generations. There’s an intergenerational exchange between artists, as well as close proximity to the impact of our kaupapa.
Public discussion has recently highlighted the lack of women artists in collections of major galleries around the world. What needs to change to give women greater recognition?
Transformation continues to be necessary within our cultural institutions, as well as social institutions in general, to enable them to better serve the complexity of our communities. This means pausing, reflecting and reconsidering how we do things, which can be hard, particularly in large organisations. If we could commit to making many small changes each day to support those around us to access a sense of dignity – and this was practised en masse – approaches to acquisition or programming that have been the norm would fall away.
Elle Foenander of Foenander Galleries
Location: Parnell, Auckland City
About the gallery: Represents a diverse range of contemporary practitioners. It presents an annual calendar of exhibitions, supported by a team that offers expert insight and consultancy.
What led to your current role?
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Advertise with NZME.My earliest memories are of painting. I spent my early years in Dubai, where my father was an artist. I then moved to Australia for my education, where my focus shifted to contemporary dance. I relocated to New York for several years and then spent time sailing through the South Pacific. Eventually, I settled in New Zealand, following several earlier visits, and after a number of years in the property industry, I decided to return to my earliest aspirations of contributing to the arts, this time through a gallery platform dedicated to supporting artists.
Describe the concept behind your gallery.
I established the gallery in 2018 to provide a space for exceptional practitioners who offer meaningful insights – physically, poetically, and culturally. In 2022, I launched an artist residency programme in New Zealand, which has welcomed a number of local and international artists. I’m currently working toward a similar project abroad.
Gathering your artist community, watching it develop and grow, is an important part of the role. What has that journey been like?
There are exhilarating highs, moments of creativity and collaboration that take your breath away. There are the unexpected dips, where inevitable challenges arise. The highs inform the lows and vice versa. It is an adventure.
Career highlight?
A recent career highlight was sitting for a painting with Gavin Chai, a masterful emerging artist we have had the pleasure of working with for the last few years.
How do you choose who you represent?
More often than not, it begins with an unexpected encounter with an artwork – the kind that stops you in your tracks. Sometimes those encounters can be short-lived; it’s when they linger and provoke thought that you really pay attention.
Larissa McMillan of Wairau Māori Art Gallery
Location: Whangārei, Northland
About the gallery: The Wairau Māori Art Gallery is the first public art gallery in New Zealand to focus solely on the promotion and understanding of Māori artists and curators. Opened in 2022, Larissa is the inaugural director.
Describe your path to becoming a gallerist.
I was raised in Whangārei and left around the age of 19. I’ve always been a deeply creative thinker and spent my adult years exploring all kinds of creative endeavours and visual expressions, in both study and in practice. I’ve delved into various creative pursuits – ranging from theatre, film, and writing, to fashion and, more recently, street art.
It’s wonderful to create, but unless you want your work to collect dust under the bed, you need organisational and relational skills too. No one is going to do it for you. That said, I was surrounded by inspiring people who were making creative projects happen, and together we thrived. There’s something incredibly nurturing about growing alongside your peers in such a creative environment.
What’s the concept behind Wairau Māori Art Gallery?
It celebrates the best of contemporary Māori art and customary practice in Aotearoa. The gallery is a space to showcase unique perspectives, diverse identities, and alternative ways of seeing the world. It must be a tolerant environment where our community can feel seen and reflected. Above all, it should be a safe space for brave, and sometimes uncomfortable, conversations – a place that encourages dialogue while pushing the boundaries of culture and thought. Ultimately, the gallery should be a catalyst for advancing both our culture and our community. Creative expression and spaces for this are necessary for cultures to prosper.
How do you choose who you represent?
Each year we select a guest Māori curator to bring diversity to our shows. We advocate for the curator to select the artists they would like to represent – who are all whakapapa Māori. There is a distinct lack of representation of Tangata Whenua at leadership level in the arts sector, so we also bring practising arts professionals on board as part of our Tuakana/Teina strategy to work with the curator.
What has gathering your artist community been like?
At the Wairau Māori Art Gallery, we’re more than just a creative community – we are a whānau. Our toi whānau thrives together, supporting one another. This has always been the way for toi Māori. This sense of inter-generational belonging and collective strength is at the heart of what we do. Haere mai: we welcome everyone to be a part of this shared experience.
Do you feel this is something you were born to do?
This role aligns well with my natural strengths in building relationships, developing strategies, and creative problem-solving. While there have been challenging learning curves (Excel spreadsheets anyone?), strong leadership and trust have been key to my growth in this position.
Has it been life enriching?
It has been deeply and profoundly life-changing. Working for a kaupapa Māori organisation feels like stepping into a warm home, filled with nourishment. The entire structure: rooted in tikanga, is a duality of incredible sophistication and genuine humanity. I will always be indebted to our tūpuna and to our current leadership for making this project a reality.
What needs to change to give women greater recognition in the art world?
Diversity is important as representation matters – you can’t be what you can’t see. I would encourage institutions to look at who is at their decision-making tables, and ask tough questions about their representation in those spaces. Having women in these roles is vital.
Anna Miles of Anna Miles Gallery
Location: Upper Queen St, Auckland City
About the gallery: Contemporary art gallery established in 2003, representing leading artists at all stages of their careers.
Describe your path to becoming a gallerist.
I was interested in writing about art at art school, then spent a decade writing, teaching and making exhibitions. In 2003 I opened the gallery because it dawned on me that it would be more critical to be a champion than a critic.
What is your concept for the gallery?
To advocate and champion for the artists it represents. If a dealer gallery is serious it needs to be prepared to stand behind art and artists that people, including experts, don’t yet get.
Describe the journey to creating an artist community.
Being in it for the long haul, seeing artists develop their work over a long period is incredibly satisfying. The activity of appreciating art is also very creative. Art collectors and other ‘high users’ of art have motivations and approaches that are as individual and diverse as those of artists.
Important skills for a gallerist?
I like to think art arrives at the gallery at a vital moment in its lifespan. Before this it has been on the receiving end of unfettered attention; artists have a constant conversation with their work until they decide it is finished. Once it’s at the gallery, other people develop meaningful connections with it. Overseeing the life of the work between artist and appreciator is a little like matchmaking.
How do you choose who you represent?
I have to love their work and regard it as exceptional. I’m less interested in what they do than how they do it. I distrust judgments about the relative importance of different art forms.
What needs to change to give women greater recognition in the art world?
We live in a drearily conventional world where the work of men is still taken endlessly more seriously than the work of women. There are many other ‘category errors’ in the ‘art world’ that exclude various forms of art and groups of artists. Shoring up your interior life in the face of this is imperative. Be defiant, cultivate a rhino-hide and keep going.
What was it like opening the gallery – was there a fear that no one would come, or did you feel confident from day one?
The artist, Edith Amituanai told me that in the early days I had the complete expectation that the phone would ring off the hook. Fortunately this somewhat “off the scale” optimism has not left me.
Has it turned out as you envisaged?
Still pinch myself at my good fortune to be doing this.
What’s your proudest moment?
Keeping going does not sound glamorous but it’s critical.
Adrienne Schierning of Te Uru Waitākere Contemporary Gallery
Location: Titirangi, Auckland
About the gallery: Auckland’s second largest public gallery, and home for contemporary art.
Describe your path to becoming a gallerist.
I studied at Elam and was a practising artist for many years. My work connected people and often involved facilitating public projects. A colleague pointed out how transferable these skills were, and that began my career as an arts professional. I started out in the public sector, working in community galleries before managing a commercial gallery for several years. I was then Head of Art at Webb’s for four years prior to taking on my current role 18 months ago.
Describe the gallery.
It is stunning – we get audible gasps from first-time visitors. There are four floors of gallery space in an architecture-award-winning building, nestled at the foot of the Waitākere Ranges.
Gathering your artist community, watching it develop and grow, is an important part of the role. What has that journey been like?
Over 30 years I have built many great friendships and professional relationships. The art world in Aotearoa is small, so it feels like a family now. I feel incredibly lucky to have worked alongside some of my biggest artistic heroes. It has also been wonderful to see artists develop over the years, being a part of an artist’s career at different stages, and seeing practices develop.
What qualities does a gallerist need?
Conviction, tenacity, and determination. As a director of a public gallery, strategic thinking is a vital skill. At Te Uru we are in a period of significant growth, so building and strengthening relationships is a large part of my role.
Do you feel this is something you were born to do?
I grew up on a farm in Hinuera. I wasn’t exposed to art or galleries until high school. Regardless, from a very early age I knew I wanted a life around art, and I was driven to pursue this. I know first-hand how vital art is to the wellbeing of society and I feel motivated to make experiences with art available to as many people as possible.
Has it turned out as you envisaged?
I feel incredibly lucky for the path my life and career has taken – that is not to say that it has all been smooth sailing, but it has been an unbelievable ride.
Has it been nourishing and life-enriching being a part of this world?
Everyone needs art in their life, and some people might not know that yet. If you don’t know anything about art, don’t let this deter you. A great place to start is going to talks at galleries. Without art, life isn’t nearly as interesting.
What needs to change to give women greater recognition in the art world?
This is an issue that public and private collections are working hard to address. In every role I’ve had, representing diversity and generating equality has been at the forefront of my thinking. There is still a lack of representation of many groups that sit outside of those that are historically dominant, including indigenous and queer artists, which is also starting to be addressed. At Te Uru, we strive to highlight artists who have not been given the recognition they deserve.
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