Information Here
City Gallery Wellington is marking its return to its heritage home in Te Ngākau Civic Square with a new opportunity for a New Zealand-born or based artist to create a major outdoor sculpture in the capital: City Gallery Wellington Te Whare Toi Sculpture Terrace Commission.
“We are so excited to have a new site for new art. The sculpture off ers a rare opportunity to create a contemporary landmark that will engage thousands of pedestrians. It will be visible from Harris Street as well as from inside the gallery itself. This will be a new view for Wellington,” said Curator (Special Projects), Megan Dunn, who is managing the project.
“It is a fantastic opportunity for Aotearoa artists, and we encourage you to apply with your concept now. We are looking forward to being surprised and delighted,” Dunn continued.
The City Gallery Wellington facade has been home to contemporary artworks by national and international artists. Previously commissioned artists include Bill Culbert and Ralph Hotere, Yayoi Kusama and Ronnie van Hout – with the iconic Quasi, a giant hand that became a renowned feature of the city.
“This site is not the rooftop where Quasi once famously perched as a beacon of love and dissent. The new site is an unusual location that has always been intended for a contemporary artwork — and that time is now. We’re looking for practising New Zealand artists to submit proposals for innovative, dynamic and well-considered public sculptures. The sculpture stands to be a defining feature of the building—a place maker—and we invite artists to apply to contribute to the visual fabric of our city,” continued Dunn.
The new sculpture location on Harris Street is a major thoroughfare and connector into Te Ngākau Civic Square, also home to Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui, the newly-refurbished central library, set to re-open in March 2026.
The sculpture must stand up to the force of Wellington on a good and bad day—wind, salt, rain, and shine. Applications are open from now until Monday 2 February 2026 from either New Zealand born artists practising overseas, or artists based in New Zealand.
The artist commission is being supported by the Wellington City Council Public Art Fund and the Stout Trust. Proposals will be shortlisted and selected via a panel composed of City Gallery Wellington staff , and external advisors. Three shortlisted artists will receive funding to develop their concept before the fi nal selection is made in June 2026.
The sculpture terrace will mark City Gallery Wellington’s return home to a revitalised Te Ngākau precinct, which will open with an exhibition from one of the world’s most important conceptual artists, Cornelia Parker, on 10 October 2026.
Find more information about the project and the application link here.