Te Tuhi strives to live up to the legacy of exploration by being one of New Zealand’s foremost contemporary art spaces known for its core function of commissioning ambitious new artworks by a diverse selection of artists. The organisation is also renowned for supporting curatorial research resulting in exhibitions that are locally engaged, regionally responsive and internationally ambitious with a strong awareness of social, political and environmental issues.

Te Tuhi’s annual programs include four seasons of major group and solo exhibitions and a series of live events and offsite projects. These are supported by a range of education and public programs that actively engage school students, local artists and makers, community and cultural organisations and the general public with the contemporary art world.

Te Tuhi’s history can be traced back to the early 1960s with the formation of the Pakuranga Arts Society. Founded by a group of forward-thinking creative women, the Arts Society held their first meetings in a garden shed before going on to open New Zealand’s first purpose-built arts center in 1975. In the decades that followed, Te Tuhi created a legacy of supporting the careers of New Zealand’s most accomplished artists.

Te Tuhi has worked with many nationally and internationally established artists. In recognizing emerging artistic talent, Te Tuhi has also been influential in the careers of artists through artworks commissioned by Te Tuhi which have been nominated for national and international art awards or acquired for significant collections and exhibited in galleries and museums around the world.