Active

What’s happening in 2025

We’ve been inundated with projects that are happening around the city – here’s the evergrowing list: What’s happened already:– Angel Gardeners have refreshed the giant planters at the Bridge St Bus Depot, as well as along upper Bridge St– Lambretta’s Cafe Bar replaced their awning and gave the windows a extra thorough clean– Thompson Property Group […]

What’s happening in 2025 Read More »

Montgomery Square

Briscoes has been gone for a while from its space in Montgomery Square, and those bright yellow walls were starting to fill up with posters and graffiti. So as part of Spring Clean Whakatū Nelson, we scrubbed down the walls, ready for the bicycle panels. And wow! They look so great!

Montgomery Square Read More »

146 Bridge Street

How could we resist a bare corrugated iron fence? What’s more, we had the perfect artworks for it. We’ve actually displayed the originals of Dean Raybould’s works in a previous installation, but this time, we printed them onto metal, so they are colour- and weather-fast.

146 Bridge Street Read More »

Elma Turner Library

Everyone loves a library! And here at MakeShift we especially love that we’ve got two projects happening on opposite sides of the library building. One is Bill Hammond’s ‘All Along the Heaphy Highway’, as part of ArtWalk, and the other is the 2021 instalment of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori.

Elma Turner Library Read More »

View Ports

Find out more about the opening event (Fri 12 Sept), meet-ups, workshops and walkshops (16-19 Sept) at www.artecology.net/viewports/ View Ports – (re)framing local perspectivesAn exhibition and workshop takeover of an empty urban space in Whakatū Nelson coinciding with NZIA Festival of Architecture. View Ports offers a conceptual frame for an exhibition of works by local printmakers

View Ports Read More »

Dreamland

Alicia RochaDreamlandacrylic paint, 2024 You can see more of Alicia’s art on Instagram. Monsters from an inner landscape symbolising fears and anxieties live in this dreamland where they are no longer scary. Alicia Rocha is a self-taught artist from Mexico, who came to Nelson nearly eight years ago. Alicia started making art as part of her

Dreamland Read More »

What can I do? Just me!

It’s not rocket science – we all know that little actions can have a big impact. A clean, vibrant city starts with each of us noticing and caring for the spaces we share. Just by picking up rubbish and disposing of it responsibly, we help protect the beauty and integrity of our community. Small actions,

What can I do? Just me! Read More »

Angel Gardeners

Our Angel Gardeners are back in 2025! In 2024, we had a group of volunteers who committed not only to help with some planting, but to do some occasional upkeep. We planted flowers in the big blue pots at the bus station, as well as edibles at some kerbside gardens. It’s pretty obvious that a

Angel Gardeners Read More »

Graffiti Blasters

Hey – are you a property owner with graffiti giving you a headache? We can help! Russell at Make/Shift Spaces is an absolute whizz at matching colours to the exisiting surface. He can make that graffiti magically disappear in no time at all. Make/Shift Spaces will invoice you for our efforts at a reasonable rate.

Graffiti Blasters Read More »

Project: ArtWash!

It’s not often we get to clean a painting with a mop!  ArtWalk has been up for nearly five years, so the artworks needed a bit of a refresh.  This was done across a week, first with staff and volunteers from the Suter Art Gallery cleaning all the ones at street level, and then, with

Project: ArtWash! Read More »

Project: Selwyn Place

We transformed a building! The Selwyn Place project came together with an incredible team of cleaners, planters, artist, plant-donators, business-owners, painters and, most importantly, a property owner who could see the value of a spruce-up! It all started in Spring Clean 2024, when we gathered some of the tenants along Selwyn Place joining in the gardening

Project: Selwyn Place Read More »

Rhythms of Barranquilla, Blush Reverie, Butterflies in Bloom

Karolina SerranoNelsonRhythms of Barranquillamixed media on canvas, 2022 Blush Reverieacrylic on canvas, 2023 Butterflies in Bloommixed media on canvas, 2023 You can see more of Karolina’s art on facebook and instagram. This series celebrates inner strength, cultural identity, and the many forms of beauty around us. Each painting invites us to look beyond the surface, to feel

Rhythms of Barranquilla, Blush Reverie, Butterflies in Bloom Read More »

Hello City

Audrey AndersonNelsonHello Citygraffiti ink on canvas, 2023 You can see more of Audrey’s work on her website and on Instagram.You can also see Audrey’s work at Coolstore Gallery in Mapua. I find inspiration in the simplicity of everyday life. By being present in the world around me, stories naturally unfold, leading me to new ways

Hello City Read More »

Korowai

Tim CuffNelsonKorowaiphotograph, 2008 You can see lots of Tim’s work at www.nelsoncreative.co.nz This was a picture shot a few years ago for a magazine piece about one of Ngāti Koata’s korowai. Although the cloak is beautiful in its entirety, I liked the drama of zooming in tightly on the richly-coloured feathers. Tim Cuff established himself

Korowai Read More »

Feeling the Music

Being a part of this project was great. I had a lot of fun drawing and painting it. It was a bit challenging because of the bumps on the power box but I made it work. Patience is the key!  Originally from Colombia, David George Garcia came to New Zealand abut ten years ago for

Feeling the Music Read More »

Va’a-tele

Mark Fa’avaeNelsonVa’a-tele (the big canoe)acrylic paint, 2025 Mark Fa’avae is a Samoan-born Nelson artist who has exhibited locally and nationally. Va’a-tele are large, traditional Samoan seagoing vessels, made of two canoes lashed together. Huge thanks to NEL (Nelson Electricity Limited) for supporting our artists to transform their boxes! And thanks too, to Matty Anderson for introducing us to

Va’a-tele Read More »

Koha nga Kupu

Samara Davis Ngati Koata, Ngati Toa Rangatira, Ngati Kuia, Ngati Tama, Ngati Rarua, Te AtiawaKoha nga Kupuacrylic paint on board, 2022 Kai I ngā Ora To feed life or feed from life  A reciprocal relationship and slogan that came from a group exhibition at Refinery ArtSpace, Kai I ngā Ora, which was a response to the housing crisis.

Koha nga Kupu Read More »

Mi amigo Axolotl

Alicia RochaMi amigo Axolotlacrylic paint, 2025 You can see more of Alicia’s art on Instagram. I believe art can deepen our understanding of ourselves and others, makes us heal  and subsequently the world we live in. My paintings are a reflection of my inner landscape where creatures go through a transmutation to become a friendly totem

Mi amigo Axolotl Read More »

Rollerdoor Mural

Richard SellarsRollerdoor Muralacrylic paint, 2024 As part of Spring Clean Whakatū Nelson, ArtHouse Architects commissioned Richard Sellars to create a mural that would transform their laneway. The roller door was looking pretty manky before Richard took it from graffiti to oh-so-cool! It’s a stunner! Richard Sellars is a Nelson-based artist and architect. Read a great

Rollerdoor Mural Read More »