Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki opened its doors on 17 February 1888. Our founding collection of artwork was formed by major gifts from Sir George Grey and James Tannock Mackelvie, and primarily focused on European and British art.  

Since then, the Gallery has grown and changed with the city of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Thanks to the ongoing support of the city and generous donors, patrons and visitors, we now care for more than 18,000 artworks. Our collection includes significant historical, modern and contemporary artworks from Aotearoa New Zealand and across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa (the Pacific). It also includes works from around the world, spanning Asia, Europe and the Americas, reflecting the rich diversity of modern-day Aotearoa. We also regularly commission new artworks from national and international artists as part of our dynamic exhibition programme.  

Together, these artworks tell a story of creativity and connection, offering fresh ways to experience art and spark conversation. 

H3: Our exhibition history 

For more than a century, the Gallery has presented exhibitions by artists from Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world.  

Want to know more? The E H McCormick Research Library holds detailed records of our exhibitions. [insert link to Research Library webpage] 

H3: We are part of the Auckland Council whānau 

Since its founding, the Gallery has been funded by Auckland’s civic council to share art with the people of Tāmaki Makaurau. 

Today, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is owned and operated by Tātaki Auckland Unlimited (TAU), an organisation within the wider Auckland Council whānau. TAU is the region’s cultural, events and destination agency and cares for many of the city’s places, venues and taonga. 

The building is an important part of our story. Blending heritage and contemporary architecture, it reflects how the Gallery has evolved over time.  

H3: The original building (1887) 

The Gallery’s original building, still in use today, was constructed in 1887 to house Auckland’s Free Public Library and Municipal Offices, with space set aside for an art gallery.  

Over time, the Gallery grew. Early additions included the Mackelvie Gallery in 1893 and the research library in 1955. Within its first 100 years, the Gallery had taken over the entire original building.  

H3: The redeveloped building (2011) 

Between 2005 and 2011, the Gallery underwent a major redevelopment. The remodelling kept the heritage building and integrated it with a larger, modern structure. 

The new addition to the Gallery building was designed by architecture firms FJMT and Archimedia, who worked with Auckland Council and consulted the people of Auckland to create a world-class public space. 

The building’s kauri canopy, which welcomes visitors to our Kitchener Street entrance, is now an iconic piece of Auckland architecture that honours the Gallery’s connection to the adjacent Albert Park.  

Three artworks commissioned from Māori artists [insert link to Māori commissions] – Fred Graham, Lonnie Hutchinson, and Arnold Manaaki Wilson and Anthony Wilson – are embedded in the fabric of the building.  

The redeveloped building won World Building of the Year at the World Architecture Festival in 2013. 

Find out more about the architecture of the redeveloped building. [insert link to article] 

H3: The Heritage Restoration Project, Kia whakahou, kia whakaora (2026) 

In 2026, our Heritage Restoration Project, Kia whakahou, kia whakaora reached a major milestone and the historic building was restored to full view. The project aims to preserve and restore the Gallery’s heritage building.  

Read more about the Heritage Restoration Project, Kia whakahou, kia whakaora [link to media release] 

Today, both the modern extension and heritage building can be fully appreciated from our location on Kitchener and Wellesley streets in Auckland’s CBD – reflecting our past, present and future as a public space for all to enjoy arts and culture.