Mission Statement:
We are committed to artist development through our exhibition programme
and
community development via participation in our creative spaces.
We focus on, and specialise in, exhibiting the work of new and emerging artists, working with artists until they have developed their art, their confidence and their experience and are ready to exhibit elsewhere. We do this by facilitating affordable and accessible exhibition opportunities, model a professional gallery experience with a community focus and mentor artists through the entire process.
In the last financial year we exhibited the work of 384 local artists
Annual onsite engagement tops 12,000
A typical exhibition attracts around 1000 onsite visitors and over 100,000 online views.
We run large art exhibitions in Eastside Gallery and small ones in the Mini Gallery, offer 11 low-cost art classes and arts activities each week, most of which you can jump into anytime, and hire our three creative spaces outside opening hours for community meetings and arts-related activities and events such as singing, dancing and intimate music performances. We are the only Community Arts Centre in Christchurch that operates both as a creative space and specialises in offering quality, accessible exhibition opportunities for local artists. We run around seven-nine open call shows annually. All of this takes place in a beautiful heritage building, one block east of Christchurch’s CBD.
Of the 14 exhibitions in 2025:
7 were open call for local artists
5 were hosted collaborations with community groups
2 collaborated with education providers
The Village Arts Centre is an integral project of Te Whare Roimata Trust, a not-for-profit, Treaty-based, community development organisation.
Firmly entwined in the Trust’s kaupapa are the principles of bi-cultural partnership, whānau development, local participation and leadership. These in turn inform the programming aims the Village Arts Centre. We have particularly strong connections to the creative community of Christchurch’s Inner City East.
Our Funders and Supporters
Volunteers
Volunteers are a vital part of the Village Arts Centre.
We have a strong team of daily gallery and class assistants and a pool of volunteers to staff our exhibition openings and special events. More information on our volunteer page.
History
We opened in 1987 as the Linwood Community Arts Centre.
It is located in Linwood Village at 388 Worcester St, which is on the corner of Stanmore Rd and Worcester Street. The building was formerly the Linwood Public Library and Reading Room. Prior to that it was a Post Office.
