Reopening Weekend

Reopening Weekend

Event

Past event

Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū

We’re finally home! On Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 December Christchurch Art Gallery's doors will open to the people of Christchurch for the first time in almost five years.  Join us and help welcome the Gallery back in style.

Opening weekend hours: Saturday 10am – 10pm, Sunday 10am – 7pm.

Come and see the exhibitions and artist projects, enjoy musical performances, films, family activities, talks and tours. Check out our pop-up shop, eat tasty treats from some of Christchurch’s best food trucks and add in a cash bar and DJ until 10pm on Saturday night.

Please note, the Gallery's car park will be opening soon. In the meantime, there's plenty of street parking or use the Botanic Gardens' car park.

FAMILY ACTIVITIES
Draw Make Create
10am–12pm and 1–3pm 
Forecourt and under the stairs
Create your own art-tastic Christmas decorations! Make festive chalk stencils and blinged out hanging pinecones at our activity tables.

Imagination Playground
10am–5pm
Forecourt
An incredible play-system made up of giant blocks in a multitude of shapes and sizes. Designed by New York architect David Rockwell, it offers endless creative potential for children to play, build, dream and explore.

Free Gelato from NZI
11am – 4pm
Forecourt
Enjoy a scoop or a cone of free gelato from our partners NZI. There are five flavours of Rollickin Gelato available. Get in quick as there is limited stock.


FILMS
Through a Different Lens / Film Work by Joanna Margaret Paul
11am, 1.30pm, 3pm, 5.30pm
Phillip Carter Family Auditorium
A programme of recent digital restorations of films shot by Joanna Margret Paul in the 1970s and early 1980s reflecting on motherhood, domestic life and dichotomy between urban space and the natural world. Several of the films in this programme were recently premiered at the 2015 London Film Festival.

Building Repairs
Drop in any time between 12.15–1.15pm, 4–5pm and 7–10pm
Phillip Carter Family Auditorium
Witness Christchurch Art Gallery's transformation in timelapse photography shot over five years of repairs.

 

TOURS
Introduction to the Gallery
11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm
Meet at the Information Desk
Tour collection highlights with our friendly and knowledgeable volunteer guides.

 

TALKS
An Introduction to Te Rua o te Moko, with curator Nathan Pohio
11.30am, meet at Information Desk

Playing Cat and Mouse, with curator Ken Hall
1.30pm, meet at Information Desk

The Bull, the Wizard and the Railway Men: Three Christchurch Treasures, with senior curator Lara Strongman
2.30pm, meet at Information Desk

The Art of Giving: Five Exceptional Gifts in Unseen, with curator Felicity Milburn
3.30pm, meet at Information Desk

Exquisite Gems: Wood Engravings from a Golden Age, with curator Peter Vangioni
4.30pm, meet at Information Desk

 

PERFORMANCE
Kitchen Collective
12–3pm
Forecourt
Get your groove on with the smooth tones of Kitchen Collective, a contemporary music ensemble from Jules Marchant and Simon Kong featuring Byllie Jean.

 

SPECIAL EVENING EVENT
DJ Simon Kong
Foyer 7– 10pm
Enjoy refreshments accompanied by the relaxing sounds of DJ Simon Kong.