Art in Transit Whakatū/Nelson: Bus Shelters as a Community Canvases is a trial project that aims to revitalise the city by transforming bus stops into vibrant, engaging spaces that reflect the rich cultural history of the community. If you’d like to give feedback – please click here! The first one to be installed is Stamps […]
The artwork is inspired by the idea that perspective shapes everything we understand. It takes a playful approach, using humour and simple storytelling to invite people to see both the world—and each other—a little differently. At its centre is a cat with a curious and humorous expression, looking directly at passersby. This creates an immediate
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Originally from Cali in Colombia, Maryori Barrera has been living in New Zealand for nearly three years. She and her husband came to Nelson from the USA for his work as a pastor. Through our leadership in our community we met Karolina Serrano, and she told me about the ArtBoxes. I would like to thank
A community engagement project facilitated by Make/Shift Spaces & Arts Council Nelson. We’re all aware that businesses along Bridge Street are finding it tough during the Bridge to Better infrastructure upgrades. Love Letter to Bridge Street is a project where anyone can create a message to be pinned up on one of the fences along
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For most of its life, this little beauty the Christian Science building. It’s been empty for a number of years. It has two main spaces, perfect for meetings and gatherings, and, as it turns out, for a rehearsal space for a play. Many thanks to Wakatu Inc for letting us use this little building.
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This hand-painted mural investigates patterns as structural and conceptual frameworks. The artwork plays with the effect that repetition has on the viewer, and the way that abstract shapes generate meaning that is open to personal interpretations and context. It aims to prompt a critical awareness of the patterned structures that shape our urban environments and
A Royal Parade of all sorts (as a nod to the neighbouring Theatre Royal). The 12 grungy white-washed windows, each divided into four portrait panes, were a new linear mural opportunity. The windows allowed natural light into an adjacent mechanic’s workshop, so a simple black line design was chosen to reduce blocking out the sunlight.
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Join us on a new adventure with an audio-guide-with-pictures to take you back in time. TUKU 26 GUIDED AUDIO EXPERIENCEAs part of Tuku 26, we’re offering a personal introduction to the audio guide.You’ll be greeted by two team members from Make/Shift Spaces, who will assist you in getting set up for the audio guide. Then
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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
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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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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:
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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,
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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
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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
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