WSA Bulletin -  02 December 2025

Welcome to our newsletter and latest happenings at Artspost & WSA.

Firstly - a huge shout out and thank you to the volunteers and supporters who helped out on Friday night for the exhibition opening held at Artspost. Your assistance made the event run very smoothly and be the success it was.

With only a few weeks left until Christmas - we still have lots on offer for our community and gallery visitors.

Join Yaniv Janson for a Community Canvas painting session on Saturday

6th December 2025 from 10am - 12pm. All materials provided. This event is family friendly, fully inclusive and FREE. It will be held upstairs in the WSA Art School - Studio 2, Level 1.

Inaugural Monthly Members’ Night.

A new initiative for our Members, with our first event being held on

10th December 2025 at 5.30pm at Artspost, with an artist talk from Hollie Tawhiao on her exhibition ‘Complex Simplicity’.

Each month we will be inviting our Members to come along to see the current exhibitions and bring a new friend with you, who hasn’t seen what we do.

Enjoy refreshments, music from local musicians & listen to a guest speaker from our creative community.

Our next Members’ Night will be 11 February 2026.

If you know a business that would like to sponsor one of the evenings, please email: julie@wsa,org,nz

NZPPA Awards 2026 - Entries close 10th December 2025 at 11.59pm

Enter online at www.wsa.org.nz

CURRENT Exhibitions - on at Artspost Galleries until 21 December 2025.

Jennie de Groot’s ‘It's All Fun And Games Until Somebody Loses An Eye’

Hollie Tawhiao’s ‘Complex Simplicity’

Yaniv Janson’s ‘Abstract Acrylics’

Caroline Peacocke’s ‘The Shape of Shelter’

UPCOMING Classes & Workshops - Enrol at www.wsa.org.nz

Christmas School Holiday Programme

• 16th - 19th Dec: Sculpture & 3D Character Design with Anya:

  9.00am - 12.00pm; for 12-17 years . $199.00 per student

• Wed 17th Dec: Create Christmas characters with Josie:

  9.00am - 12.00pm; for 5-12 years. $35.00 per student

• Thurs 18th Dec: Create a mini house with Josie

  9.00am - 12.00pm; for 5-12 years. $35.00 per student

• Fri 19th Dec: Create mini-Christmas trees with Josie

  9.00am - 12.00pm; for 5-12 years. $35.00 per student

Art School Term 1, 2026  

Bookings are now open online at www.wsa.org.nz

Christmas gift ideas in Artspost Retail Store: call in to see the wonderful original NZ made artworks, gift cards and fabulous wrapping paper - all to inspire your gift giving this Christmas.

EXHIBITIONS on now

until 21st December 2025

The New Zealand Painting and Printmaking Awards entries are now open!

Main Prize in Paint - $12000 - Judged by James Ormsby and sponsored by Vision Complete Earthworks and Nancy Caiger

Main Prize in Print - $12000 - Judged by Gabrielle Belz and sponsored by PCANZ

Merit Prize in Paint  - $2000 - sponsored by CFO Partner Rachael Hayton

Merit Prize in Print  - $2000 - sponsored by Ruth Davey works for sale at Artspost

People’s Choice Award sponsored by Gordon Harris Art Supplies

Entries close 10 December 2025 at 11.59pm

Awards evening and exhibition opening will be held on 28 February at 5pm.

The finalist exhibition will be held at the Artspost galleries from 1 March 2026.

Just in time for Christmas, Being, Seeing, Making, Thinking: 50 Years of The Chartwell Project is the perfect gift for art lovers of all ages.

Since its founding in Hamilton in 1974, The Chartwell Project has championed the importance of creative visual thinking and established one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most significant contemporary art collections. This beautifully produced volume — recently nominated for a Best Award by the Designers Institute of New Zealand — showcases over 150 significant artworks from The Chartwell Collection. It also features rarely seen archival photographs of artists and exhibitions, tracing Chartwell’s early involvement with the Waikato Society of Arts and the Waikato Art Museum and its pivotal role in establishing the Centre for Contemporary Art (1982–1994) in the former Hamilton Hotel building.

More than just a book, Being, Seeing, Making, Thinking immerses readers in the passion, energy, and vision that have defined Chartwell’s unique contribution to the arts over the past 50 years. The publication features a preface by Chartwell founder Rob Gardiner, an essay by chair Sue Gardiner, and a timeline by co-editor and manager Megan Shaw. It offers rich insight into the art and artists of the Chartwell Collection — including Colin McCahon, Robyn Kahukiwa, Ralph Hotere, Gretchen Albrecht, Robin Morrison, Michael Parekōwhai, and many more.

Thoughtfully curated and visually striking, Being, Seeing, Making, Thinking is the perfect gift to place under the tree this Christmas.

WSA Membership benefits include discounts from two of our local cafes:

10% discount on food and coffee when you show your WSA membership card

Congratulations to Gordon Harris on their anniversary of 50 years in business. WSA members enjoy 10% discount* at Gordon Harris (*except books)

QUESTED FAMILY