Our Permanent Collection is a collection of art relevant to Waiheke Island that is held permanently in the Gallery. This collection consists of works from significant Waiheke exhibition and from New Zealand artists who have made a recognised contribution to the Waiheke island art environment and to the New Zealand art scene.

The Gallery’s permanent collection is focused across four themes.

Theme 1 – headland Sculpture on the Gulf Maquettes

Initiated by the Waiheke Art Gallery in 2003, the Sculpture on the Gulf Marquette collection is a visual history of this world class event that includes the following works:

• Cul de Sac by Morgan Jones (2007) loaned by the artist
• Safe House by Karin Strachan (2007)
• Lookout by Meiling Lee (2007)
• Dispensary by Louise Purvis (2009)
• All our failures are ultimately failures in love by Shane McGrath (2011) loaned by the artist
• Slowness Shifting IV, by Veronica Herber  2013 (detail)
• Flowers of the Sky by Tania Patterson (2015) loaned by the artist
• Across the Narrow Sea Diptych by Elliott Collins (2015)
• The Archive Bar by Denis O’Connor (2015)
• Mesh by Jeff Thomson (2017
• Ka Boom! By Lang Ea (2022)

Theme 2 – Artists in Residence

Our biennale Waiheke Artist in Residence programme was initiated by the Gallery in 2007 to provide artists with the opportunity to live and work on Waiheke and create a body of work for exhibition that reflects their experiences of our island.

The current collection contains works donated by our 2014 Artists in Residence from their OZ to Waiheke project.

• Michel Tuffery – 2016 Artist in Residence
• Mark Surridge – 2018 Artist in Residence
• Bronwen Newbury – 2021 Artist in Residence

Theme 3 – Waiheke Artists

Waiheke Artists that have lived on the Island for a significant time and whose work has been heavily influenced by their time here.

The Jan Nigro triptych, originally commissioned by NZ Post and subsequently donated to the Gallery, is displayed in the Gallery foyer. Works by Zinni Douglas, the Gallery’s first chairperson, are also part of this collection. Other works are by Zoe Leeb du Toit and Anika Boren.

Theme 4 – Kurt Von Meier Collection

The Kurt Von Meier Collection comprises of works created at Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland, from 1960-64 when Kurt Von Meier was Art History Lecturer.

The works have been repatriated from Kurt’s home in San Francisco following their donation to Hamish Keith, who has in turn gifted them to the Waiheke Community Art Gallery.

The early sixties were a time when Von Meier witnessed the development of New Zealand’s contemporary art scene, and the collection represents this development. Within the collection are works by Gretchen Albrecht, Robert Ellis, Pat Hanly, Geoff Thornley, Pauline Thompson, and Hamish Keith.

The Waiheke Community Art Gallery is excited to have received this gift and is looking forward to exhibiting it later in 2022.

Friends of the Permanent Collection

Our Friends of the Permanent Collection provide support for increasing and maintaining the collection.