How to find the art you want

Our comprehensive guide to finding art in your library will help those who like to browse shelves and enjoy the experience of reading art books. This resource also has a guide to finding New Zealand artists, including Māori artists, women artists, and links to extensive databases, including art, music and literature links and specialist magazines.

Finding images of artworks is made easy through the libraries’ subscriptions to Grove Art, which provides access to the Bridgeman Art Library. Alternatively, use our internet gateway listings of art galleries.

New Zealand art and artists

Master painters from around the world are well documented, but many New Zealand artists are less well-known. Kate McGahey’s artist dictionary is a useful starting point for those wishing to find out more about the painters, printmakers and sculptors of Aotearoa. Gregory O’Brien has also written an introduction to contemporary New Zealand art for children as well as a series of profiles of contemporary New Zealand painters.

The Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna O Waiwhetu now offers a range of on demand audio about works from its collection, available for download or listening online. You can find works from Rita Angus, Colin McCahon, Ralph Hotere, Bill Sutton, as well as newer works from artists such as Miranda Parkes. Currently the gallery is also showcasing the landscapes of Banks Peninsula Te Pataka o Te Rakaihautu (the food store house of the paramount chief Rakaihauta). The photographs of Ans Westra are currently on display – read the online introduction to this ‘challenging’ exhibition. Part of the Gallery’s collection is also available online.

Christchurch Arts Festival

Bill Hammond is the focus of a major exhibition at The Christchurch Art Gallery, but that is just one of the selection of top-quality events on offer at the Christchurch Arts Festival. Theatre, dance, music and cabaret showcase the rich variety of classic and modern local and international art. This paragraph can’t do this massive event justice, so go and have a sniff around the festival web site.

Music, sweet music

For many people music is the most compelling art form, and the Christchurch City Libraries music collection caters for diverse tastes. Classical music enthusiasts will find our guide to the collection a useful starting point, and classical music web sites from our Internet Gateway will have you surfing for hours.

Online customers can also enjoy New Zealand music documentaries – both audio and video – from Radio NZ, TVNZ, and Sound Archives.

Customers can also check our newest audio visual titles – CDs, DVDs and Talking Books.