About - Toi MAHARA gallery for the Kāpiti Coast

Toi MAHARA—Kāpiti Coast District Gallery

Contemporary public art gallery Toi MAHARA is the district gallery for the Kāpiti Coast. The gallery helps form a vibrant and colourful heart for the district.

There are four exhibition spaces showcasing local creativity, toi Māori, historical taonga, and work by nationally significant artists. The exhibition programme balances quality local and national content, works in partnership with local iwi, and reflects the diversity of the Kāpiti arts community.

Toi MAHARA is also the home of The Field Collection, comprising 44 works, including 24 paintings by Frances Hodgkins. It is the largest collection of Hodgkins’ work in public ownership outside Te Papa and Auckland and Dunedin public art galleries. The Field Collection is available to view by appointment.

Toi MAHARA invites you to explore, engage, and take home a piece of creativity from the heart of the Kāpiti Coast.

Entry to the gallery is free.

Toi MAHARA was founded by artists and volunteers as a charitable trust in 1996. Its governance is the responsibility of a Board of Trustees. Currently there are five trustees and four representatives including one appointed by Kāpiti Coast District Council.

It receives some private financial support as well as funding from the Council to cover operational costs. Toi MAHARA is a registered Charitable Trust; the charity number is CC29700.

The Toi MAHARA mission is to reflect our diverse Kāpiti communities, offering life-enriching art experiences, presenting heritage and contemporary art in thoughtful, engaging, and challenging ways, encouraging enjoyment, discovery, and learning.

Toi MAHARA—Kāpiti Coast District Gallery

Annual reports