Queenstown Art Society

The Queenstown Art Society was formed in the early 1960s in response to a few amateur artists wanting to hold an Exhibition. One of the founding members is still a member today and sometimes exhibits at our annual November Exhibition. The Society has held an exhibition nearly every year since then.

The Society has a permanent 'home' in the old Wakatipu secondary school science laboratories. One end of the block houses the Studios and the other end workshop space and the Cloakroom Gallery. They have been added to and parts demolished over the years but serve as a focus for the Arts in the area. There have been plans for many years to build a large Arts Centre on the site combining the performing and visual arts groups in one building-we hope to live to see the day.

Our aim, as a very hard working group, is to promote and encourage art in the Wakatipu Valley (a valley that encloses both the tourist mecca of Queenstown and historic Arrowtown).

We do this in many ways:

• Our biggest commitment is to holding an annual exhibition The Locations Realty November Exhibition. Our sponsors provide us with over $3,000 worth of prizes in cash and vouchers - we are immensely grateful for their support.


• At the other end of the scale we have our Mad March Sale lasting 3 days. Art is solicited from artists and non-artists alike. We see it as a way of re-cycling our old paintings and sometimes you can find a an artwork on both sides of the watercolour paper or canvas! It's a great opportunity to talk about art to people who would normally never buy original artwork.


• Workshops are held on a regular basis and can range from the subtle skills of watercolour washes to flax weaving or mask making. Our Rooms, in central Queenstown, make an idylic location. Class participants can take a break and wander down to Lake Wakatipu and drink in the majesty of the surrounding peaks. The Rooms are available for hire.


• A most exciting development was the opening of the Cloakroom Gallery by our mayor Clive Geddes and long-time committee and QAS member Molly Casey in May 2004. This has held many varied exhibitions and it is always our aim to keep the cost to a minimum so allowing emerging artists a platform to show their art. With a grant from the Community Trust of Southland we have been able to hold more exhibitions and create more activity around the Cloakroom Gallery.


• The Studios were an initiatve of Spike Wademan when the Citizens Advice Bureau moved out of their half of the Wakatipu secondary school science laboratories to a different building. Under the auspices of the Queenstown Art Society the Queenstown Lakes District Council was approached and the artists moved into the small rooms with their easels and sewing machines. The Studios have been so popular that 2 or 3 artist may share the spaces. There is always an exhibition of their work on the walls and visitors are welcome to browse and watch the artists at work.