New Zealand may be small but has some very vibrant, exciting, and culturally challenging Art Galleries. Choosing to stay in a bed and breakfast in New Zealand will also give you a taste of the country as they are hosted by people who are passionate about the country and sharing this passion with their guests. If you are wishing to visit some galleries during your holiday here are some of the ‘must see’ venues around the country so no matter where your bed and breakfast is in New Zealand you’ll have one nearby to inspire you.

Zealandia Sculpture Garden
Just a short drive off the Main Highway south of Warkworth this sculpture garden is exceptional and will have you mesmerised. Although not strictly an Art Gallery, this garden is all about art and challenges the viewer. All the pieces are by Terry Stringer who is a highly talented New Zealand Sculptor and his works can be viewed at various places in New Zealand.

Auckland Art Gallery
Located in central city of Auckland, a short walk from Queen Street. This gallery has just undergone a $21M renovation and expansion project which shows the commitment to bringing great art works to the public. Auckland Art Gallery has hosted overseas collections and holds a large collection of New Zealand art including Maori and Pacific Island Artists. Take your time to browse this interesting gallery.

Govett Brewster Art Gallery
This gallery can be found in New Plymouth, Taranaki and has the reputation as being one of the finest in New Zealand. The Govett Brewster Art Gallery has a large Len Lye collection. The sculptor Len Lye was born in New Zealand and is well known for his kinetic sculpture and experimental films. He is highly regarded in America where much of his work is displayed at various galleries. The waterfront walkway in New Plymouth features a reproduction of his Wind Wand sculpture.

Rotorua Museum
Nau Mai Haere Mai – greetings in Maori from Rotorua Museum where a wide range of art, culture and history collide. Visit this to increase your knowledge of Maori, their history and legends along with modern artists and a variety of exhibitions.

City Gallery
Found in Civic Square in New Zealand’s Capital City Wellington. This is one of many exceptional galleries in Wellington and is well known for its premier paintings, sculptures and other works of art

World of Wearable Art and Classic Cars Museum
Located in beautiful Nelson, at the top of the South island. This museum has something for everyone. Started after the very successful annual WOW Awards show (Now held in Wellington) it showcases many of the garments worn at the awards show. The Classic Car Museum will have the car enthusiast drooling.

From the cubism of Picasso in the early part of the 20th century to the latest up-to-date showing at that avant-garde gallery in town, abstract art has been all about change. Purveyors of modern abstract art will take commissions, true, and hew to a set of instructions, yet the art that is for sale in galleries has a rich history of styles to choose from, fauvism and Dadaism and lyrical abstraction. The electronic methods of making art have not been neglected, as anyone who has ever attended a hologram display can attest.

Abstract art gained a new lease on life with the blossoming of electronic and robotic methods of expressing art. Form and color and texture combine in video abstraction as portrayed by the modern abstract artist Nam June Paik, the Korean-born artist who is said to have coined the phrase ‘Information Superhighway.’ Paik used media as they excited his interest, mastering one genre and then moving on to another. He has been called the first video artist, a natural progression from his artistic beginnings as a student of music. When he was inveigled by John Cage and other composers as well as conceptual artists to work in electronic art, he was more than ready to tackle another genre. He used both working and discarded television sets in his art, saying that he catered to the American admiration for ‘bright shiny things.’ Whether his art is sculpture or electronic is difficult to say, so fluid are his techniques.

Traditional art on canvas has not been forgotten in the last fifty years. If minimalism is defined as ‘multiple use of a single entity’, then abstract art contains minimalist elements, as pictured by the tightly-bound appearance of George Ortman’s works, perhaps the most famous being ‘Narcissus.’ ‘Narcissus’ may look like two diamond shapes whose tips touch surrealistically, but the geometrical quality of the flower is outstanding and the white discs inside the center of the rows of primary colored stripes, which make up the middle of the diamond shapes, take the naturalistic shape of a flower and glean the clean shapes from the curves. Ortman’s works use symbolism, not normally the case in abstract art, yet the meanings of his shapes are plain: a square equals intellect, a circle means sensuality and a triangle signifies ethics. His work has a tremendous moral and spiritual weight that feels authentic. Ortman has embraced abstract art in his artistic vision of minimalism and his use of primary colors is masterful.

Why not peruse the differing ranges of abstract art and find just the right genre for your taste? You may want to think out of the box or you may want the reassurance of quality that comes from a well-loved genre, but the piece of art on your wall will have a good home with someone who can think and learn about the fascinating steps that abstract art has taken lately. Abstract art on the computer is another genre, not something to hang on the wall, but to enjoy every time you boot up and visit your favorite museum site or individual artist’s gallery. Of course, if you are adventuresome, you may take a Photoshop tutorial or two on the internet and create your own art!