We were inundated with projects happening around the city – here’s the (still-growing) list: – Angel Gardeners have been going crazy all around town! They refreshed the giant planters at the Bridge St Bus Depot, as well as along upper Bridge St. They completely transformed the gardens outside Nelson Library along Halifax St by spreading […]
What happened in 2025 Read More »
The perfect corner space for a series of workshops and exhibition. Many thanks to Thompson Property Group.
When a group of students put our the call for a venue for their Ball Op-Shop, we knew the perfect space would be right in the centre of town! Massive thanks to the property owners GB Skeggs Family Trust.
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!
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.
There’s a perfect spot on the side of Nelson English Centre, facing onto Church Street. Big thanks to Nelson English Centre. We hope your students enjoy meeting Appo!
Nelson English Centre Read More »
The corner of Collingwood and Bridge has a long history that stretches back way before the current building.
This is a busy little thoroughfare between Trafalgar Street and Montgomery Carpark – perfect for a display of bold bright images. Many thanks to Pascoe Properties.
Bank Lane (exterior wall of BNZ) Read More »
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 »
Spring Clean Whakatū Nelson 2025 started off with a massive project involving about a dozen volunteers giving Bank Lane the best cleaning in who-knows-how-long?! There was vacuuming, scrubbing, spray-and-wiping, removing of sellotape and stickers, and general makeover brilliance! We even gave the public seat a sanding down and repaint, and painted over the graffiti behind
Project: Bank Lane Read More »
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 »
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
It was a wonderful occasion at the third Shared Communities Pop-Up Multicultural Market, on Saturday 18 October, from 3.30-8.00pm at the top of Trafalgar St. Spring Clean Whakatū Nelson threw its support behind the market because there’s no better way to celebrate a spring clean than for everyone to come together for great food, and
Pop-up Multicultural Market Read More »
Allison TuckwellCreation Story: Dog of Wonderacrylic, 2025 A dog looks on in wonder at the creation of a universe. You can see more of Allison’s work on instagram. I’ve been making art for most of my life. I’ve recently arrived in Nelson after living overseas for 20 years. I currently utilise the studio space at
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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
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
In the 2025 Spring Clean, we had a number of businesses and organisations step up and do great things! There’s some examples below of what’s already happening this year: And here’s a few things that happened in 2024 – just for inspiration:
What can we do as an innercity business? Read More »
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 »
Consider making a donation. Think of the city as a an outdoor art gallery, with heaps of potential for artworks on every scale. Make/Shift Spaces is a non-for-profit organisation that has an ever-growing network of Nelson/Tasman artists. Your financial contribution will help make our city vibrate with original artworks and creativity. In 2024, NEL cleaned
Want to help but don’t have the time? Read More »
Our Angel Gardeners are back in 2025! Our Angel Gardeners had a group of volunteers who committed not only to help with some planting, but to do some occasional upkeep. In 2025 they refreshed the giant planters at the Bridge St Bus Depot, as well as along upper Bridge St. They completely transformed the gardens
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.
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 »
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
Emily NarbeyNgā Rau o Aotearoa (Leaves of Aotearoa)acrylic paint, 2025 Emily Narbey has given us a little patch of nature in the innercity. I’m not sure where the inspiration for this work came from… back in 2022 my dad’s cancer was diagnosed as terminal and I guess as a kind of parting gift he got
Ngā Rau o Aotearoa (Leaves of Aotearoa) Read More »
Rachel Promthat’s tasty creation has the perfect home in Nelson’s own ‘eat street’. Rachel has painted a delectable dish of Tom Yum noodle soup, as it is one of Thailand’s most popular dishes. The artwork is not just about Thailand’s signature dish, but it also reflects Thai identity. My inspiration for this artwork is that I
The Signature Dish of Thailand Read More »
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
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
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
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.
