Who we are
At Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, we are more than just walls to display art. Our purpose is to be a place for art and a catalyst for ideas. We offer experiences that strengthen our communities and seek to foster collaboration and dialogue.
We want to help visitors at home and afar expand their cultural horizons through our inspiring collection and visiting exhibitions. We hope to start conversations through innovative and inclusive visitor events, education programmes, awards and prizes, and more.
With four levels of exhibition and gathering spaces in our award-winning building, we are Aotearoa’s largest experience focused solely on the visual arts. Combining our own collection with works on loan to us, we currently look after over 18,000 artworks. These include works of major significance to New Zealand historic, modern and contemporary art. We are also kaitiaki of outstanding Māori and Pacific art as well as important international paintings, sculptures and prints.
In addition to art and events programmes, we also support art conservation and research through the work of E H McCormick Research Library [link] and the Conservation Research Centre [link]. Academics, professionals and art enthusiasts from all over the world can also explore our collection [link], publications [link] and archives [link] online.
Our commitment to our Rainbow communities
Access to art for all and manaakitanga – caring for others – are things we value highly.
The Gallery is committed to being a welcoming and inclusive place for all staff and visitors, including our Rainbow communities. The term ‘Rainbow communities’ includes people of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions and sex characteristics, including Takatāpui, LGBTQIAP+ and MVPFAFF+ communities.
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is Pride Pledge Active, taking further steps to strengthen diversity and inclusion across the organisation. This is part of our ongoing commitment to a safe, inclusive space where our Rainbow communities can thrive.
We are also part of the Safe Space Alliance. A safe space is a space where Rainbow communities can freely express themselves without fear.
Whether visiting us on site or engaging with us online/digitally, we welcome all whānau, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, sex characteristics, disability, neurodiversity, physical appearance, body size, ethnicity, nationality, race, age or religion. Violence, bullying or hate speech towards visitors, artists, presenters, performers, staff or any person engaging with us will not be tolerated.
Learn more about the Pride Pledge [link] and find out more about safe spaces on the Safe Space Alliance website [link].
Purpose and values
The Gallery exists to play a central role in the cultural life of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and Aotearoa New Zealand, strengthening and enriching our communities through art and ideas. Collaborating with others, we offer inspiring art experiences that engage and challenge.
Our goals are to:
- Collect and exhibit: We enrich lives through engagement with the art and artists of Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific, alongside the significant art movements globally of the past and present.
- Connect and engage: We engage broad and diverse audiences with art and ideas.
- Partner and collaborate: We partner with others to maximise the impact of the art collection and our programmes.
- Build capability and resilience: We build organisational capability and resilience to extend the impact of our work in the community and in people’s lives.
Our values at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki are:
Manaakitanga – We care for others
- We are united by a common passion to host and care for everyone who comes to the Gallery. We offer a safe and comfortable space to engage in authentic and meaningful experiences through art, and by a shared belief that through art we know ourselves, each other and the world more deeply.
- We actively engage with Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Aotearoa New Zealand’s biculturalism, and our role in building diverse and thriving communities inclusive of LGBTQIAP+ people.
Kaitiaki – We are custodians
- We are honoured to be kaitiaki of art, narratives, histories and cultures. We value and care for our collections. We activate them and create paths of access for our audiences.
- We value our wharenui as an open, inclusive and shared place of co-creation.
Kotahitanga – We unite to create more
- We are united in seeing, feeling and experiencing the world through art.
- We move forward together with collective purpose, working cross-functionally to achieve success.
- We communicate openly, honestly and clearly, planning and sharing feedback.
- We support each other to create an environment of trust, integrity, confidence and care, respecting each other’s skills and perspectives.
Auaha – We are innovative and agile
- We harness our creativity and skills to realise our purpose.
- We innovate and experiment and are open to new and unexpected ideas.
- We are responsive and adaptive to challenging and evolving conditions.
- We share our diverse knowledge, capability and ideas in an environment of continuous improvement.
Hiranga – We strive for excellence
- We are respectful, attentive and courageous as we strive to create enriching experiences and encounters with art.
- We collaborate across disciplines, expanding our thinking and encouraging discussion.
- We provide multiple perspectives through our programme, collections and publishing.
Get to know Auckland Art Gallery
Annual review
Annual review 2024–2025
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The Gallery’s annual review is a reflection on the creativity, collaboration, and community that shaped our work over the past financial year. Download the review for 1 July 2024–30 June 2025 to explore the stories, images, and milestones that made this year memorable.
Download