Te Tuhi Launches The Iris Fisher Artist Studio Residency And More
Te Tuhi celebrates its Golden Anniversary with the launch of the Iris Fisher Artist Studio Residency, the publication of A History of the Pakuranga Arts Society 1969- 1984, and a cake designed by Fiona Pardington.
At an event on Saturday 10 May—hosted by Te Tuhi Director Hiraani Himona, along with founders Lois Perry, Bev Smaill and the Iris Fisher Family—Te Tuhi celebrated the incredible 50-year-long journey of the gallery with some of its longest standing contributors and supporters.
The celebrations included:
• The launch of the Iris Fisher Artist Studio Residency, generously supported by the Lou and Iris Fisher Charitable Trust.
• The launch of A History of the Pakuranga Arts Society 1969-1984, a publication uncovering the history behind Te Tuhi's foundation. • A large-scale cake designed by artist Fiona Pardington, who has recently been appointed to represent Aotearoa at the 2026 Venice Biennale.
Iris Fisher Artist Studio Residency: a legacy of support for contemporary art
Iris Fisher was an early champion of contemporary art in Aotearoa, as well as a pivotal figure in the foundation of the Pakuranga Arts Society in 1969—which paved the way to the establishment of the Pakuranga Cultural and Community Centre (1975), the Iris Fisher Gallery (1984), and Te Tuhi (2001). The first Iris Fisher Art Awards were held in 1981 at the Pakuranga Cultural and Community Centre, won by Phyl Bush (painting) and Dorothy Rickard (spinning and weaving).
In 1984, Fisher gifted $10,000 to establish the Iris Fisher Endowment Fund to foster and encourage innovative contemporary art practice through annual awards. This fund, added to over the years by both the Lou and Iris Fisher Charitable Trust and the Pakuranga Arts Society/Te Tuhi, enabled the Iris Fisher Art Award to provide financial and professional support to many emerging artists from 1984 to 2005.
In 2007, to increase its impact in a changing environment, the award evolved into the Iris Fisher Art Education Scholarship, offering a $5,000 prize to enable an outstanding visual arts student to complete their final year of study in Auckland. In 2019, the scholarship expanded to a national level.
The first recipient was Erica Van Zon in 2007. The 18th and most recent recipient was Kim Ireland in 2024.
2025: a new way to foster artist development
2025 is the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Pakuranga Cultural and Community Centre (now Te Tuhi), and it marks a point in the evolution of the scholarship where Te Tuhi and the Lou and Iris Fisher Charitable Trust have once again considered the current climate and landscape and evaluated how the legacy of Iris Fisher can best foster and encourage contemporary art practice.
Reviewing the benefits of the scholarship, one of the biggest impacts on the careers of artists was the opportunity to develop strong relationships with Te Tuhi and the institution's wider network.
In light of these considerations, the Lou and Iris Fisher Charitable Trust have generously increased the amount of funding for the scholarship to provide a stipend for a new three-month studio residency programme as the next step in the evolution of the Iris Fisher Art Award.
Te Tuhi acknowledges the Iris Fisher family for their invaluable involvement and contribution to the contemporary art sector in Aotearoa New Zealand.
A History of the Pakuranga Arts Society 1969-1984
On Saturday 10 May Te Tuhi also launched A History of the Pakuranga Arts Society 1969-1984, a publication uncovering the incredible history behind Te Tuhi's foundation, researched and written by Moyra Elliott in the early 2000s, and finally being published in 2025.
Following the 2001 merger of the Iris Fisher Gallery and the Pakuranga Community and Cultural Centre to form te tuhi – the mark, the Pakuranga Arts Society (PAS) Board saw an opportunity to document the Society's rich history. With generous support from the Lou and Iris Fisher Charitable Trust in 2002–2003, PAS commissioned arts writer Moyra Elliott to research and write this history.
Drawing on the Society's archives and conducting interviews with many involved over the years, Elliott produced a detailed essay, full chronology, and profiles of key figures. The result is a comprehensive account that honours the dedication and tireless efforts of those who helped shape the Pakuranga Community Centre, the Iris Fisher Gallery, and now Te Tuhi—a lasting tribute to a vibrant legacy of community and the arts.
A Fiona Pardington-designed cake to kickoff the celebrations
To start this milestone year, many of the longest-standing supporters of Te Tuhi over the past 50 years gathered on Saturday 10 May to celebrate the opening of the Pakuranga Community and Cultural Centre (1975) with a birthday cake designed by Fiona Pardington.
Pardington, who will represent Aotearoa at the Venice Biennale in 2026, designed the cake for the 10th anniversary of the Fisher Gallery in 1994, and the Te Tuhi team have recreated it, with some tweaks from the artist, for the gallery's 50th.
Te Tuhi 50: other special events and projects
Among the many other exciting projects to celebrate Te Tuhi's Golden Anniversary is 50 Years On, an exhibition of ephemera that uncovers the rich history of the gallery through a fascinating collection of archival material.
Open to the public until December 2025, this exhibition offers a rare glimpse into the evolution of Te Tuhi, from its beginnings as the Pakuranga Community and Cultural Centre in 1975, through the opening of the Fisher Gallery in 1984, to its current standing as one of Aotearoa's foremost contemporary art spaces.
Everyone is welcome to come and visit the exhibition to enjoy a full-immersion into the history of New Zealand contemporary art.
Do stay tuned for other opportunities to celebrate Te Tuhi's legacy. We have a whole range of upcoming events, parties, special projects, and publication launches planned for the year!
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