The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatu

About this place

The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatū is the public art gallery for the Nelson region, at 208 Bridge Street in central Nelson, overlooking the adjacent Queens Gardens. Alongside its exhibition programme it operates as a hire venue, offering a theatre, foyer and meeting spaces in a heritage-and-contemporary setting a short walk from Nelson's CBD accommodation and restaurants.

History

The gallery is a memorial to Andrew Burn Suter (1830–1895), the second Anglican Bishop of Nelson. Suter was a recreational painter and art collector who founded the Bishopdale Sketching Club (now the Nelson Suter Art Society) in 1889. The Bishop Suter Art Gallery opened in 1899, designed by Wellington architect Frederick de Jersey Clere, on land near Queens Gardens gifted to the gallery's board of trustees. It is recognised as the oldest art gallery in continuous use in New Zealand, and the original gallery building is listed by Heritage New Zealand.

A major redevelopment completed in 2016, led by Jerram Tocker Barron Architects, replaced most of the building while retaining and strengthening the original heritage gallery and the theatre. The work added three new galleries, a new entrance foyer, education facilities, collection storage and workshop space, and a shop and café looking out over Queens Gardens.

Spaces for hire

• Pastorius Waller Theatre — a tiered theatre seating around 150, used for film screenings, performances, presentations and conference sessions.
• Jane Evans Foyer — a contemporary open foyer suited to registration, drinks receptions, networking and standing functions.
• Meeting rooms — available for smaller board meetings, workshops and breakouts.

An on-site café and shop serve visitors and can support hired events; catering arrangements should be confirmed directly with the gallery.

Meeting and event suitability

The Suter suits conference plenary or breakout sessions, AGMs, product launches, awards presentations, drinks receptions and cultural incentive functions. The theatre gives a genuine seated presentation space, and the foyer works as an adjoining catering and networking area. Its main draw for MICE organisers is the setting — an active public gallery beside the Queens Gardens — which gives an event a distinctly regional and cultural character rather than a standard hotel-room feel. Being in central Nelson, it is also walkable from most city accommodation.