The Art Gallery and Museum provides fun and interactive learning programmes to suit school groups of all ages. School visits are tailored to meet the needs of students through facilitated discussions, hands-on activities and engagement with real experiences. Contact our educator to book your visit.
If you are wanting resources on particular topics for your kura do contact me. Between our archives, collections and resources we have a vast wealth of information about our local history and visual art.
All programmes have been tailored to suit
- Years 1- 3
- Year 4-6
- Year 7-10
Senior secondary programmes and resources are created to suit particular standards on request.
What's on this term
Experimental and Contemporary Printmaking of Aotearoa - A kōrero of thoughts and ideas, Print Council Aotearoa
Curriculum Links: Visual Art | Social Science
Dates | 15 December - 22 February 2026
Term 1 Week 1 - Term 1 Week 3
Time: 60-90 minutes
Tūhura | Explore
This survey of contemporary printmaking gives students the opportunity to engage with - and form opinions about - a wide range of techniques and concepts.
Waihanga | Create
Using varied printmaking techniques, students will make prints that reflect their connection to the Whakatere Ashburton District. This can be adapted to suit the needs of individual classes.
- Years 0-4 Foam board printing
- Year 5–8 Gelli plate or lino cut printmaking
- Years 9-13 Explore the conceptual background of a selection of work before experimenting with lino cut or gelli plate print techniques.
Dearly Beloved: 100 Years of the Wedding Dress
Curriculum Links: English | Technology | Social Sciences
Dates | 14 December 2025 – 08 March 2026
Term 1 Week 1 - Term 1 Week 4
Time: 60-90 minutes
Tūhura | Explore
A selection of exquisite bridalwear invites discussions about how wedding ceremonies can reflect social and economic changes in society.
Ako / Learn
This workshop asks questions about the role of museums, such as: how do we care for and preserve objects of value? Who selects what is preserved and why?
Waihanga | Create
- Years 0-8 After discussing the exhibition, students will use word games to extend their creative vocabulary and literacy, producing a final poem of their own.
- Years 9-13 Learners will explore the development of an exhibition with an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of our museum collection. How and why were objects chosen? What is the process of developing a museum exhibition that tells a story of our history?
Zonta Ashburton Women's Art Awards 2026
Curriculum Links: Visual Art
Dates | 07 March – 19 April
Term 1 Week 6 - Term 1 Week 10
Time: 60-90 minutes
Tūhura | Explore
Ākonga will expand their visual art awareness and language skills by discussing the diverse ways artists approach problems and convey concepts or feelings.
Waihanga | Create
Programmes can be tailored for ākonga to make connections with current topics they are learning about as well as with a variety of mediums such as painting, printmaking or sculpture.
Image: ZAWAA25 opening night
Botanical Correspondents: Crossing time with Julia Holderness and Emily Cumming Harris, Julia Holderness
Curriculum Links | English | Visual Arts | Social Sciences
Dates | 07 March – 19 April
Term 1 Week 6 - Term 1 Week 9
Time: 60-90 minutes
Tūhura | Explore
In this exhibition, Holderness introduces and responds to the botanical art of Emily Cumming Harris, one of New Zealand’s first professional female painters, linking art and literature through time. This show invites discussions about New Zealand history, as well as a lineage of painting
Waihanga | Create
- Years 0-8 Ākonga will use elements from Holderness’s work to create their own finished piece of art in a range of mediums. This could be extended to a creative writing piece about a fictional artist.
- Years 9-13 Holderness’ aesthetic and conceptual approach will be of particular interest to senior art students, and discussions can be used to feed into their own portfolio pieces.
Image: Detail from Botanical Correspondents: Crossing time with Julia Holderness and Emily Cumming Harris, by Julia Holderness
The Word Witch, David Elliot
Curriculum Links: Visual Arts | English
Dates | 07 March – 23 August
Term 1 Week 6 - Term 3 Week 5
Time: 60-90 minutes
Tūhura | Explore
This show from our permanent collection will introduce ākonga to the delightful world of the renowned (and Ashburton-born) illustrator and author David Elliot.
We will look Elliot's process of developing illustrations based on poems by Magaret Mahy.
Waihanga | Create
- Years 0-6 Students will develop their own illustrations based on poems and characters from The Word Witch.
Image: David Elliot, Once upon an evening, 2008/2009, mixed media illustration
Documenting our Heritage, Photo Competition
Curriculum Links | Visual Art, Social Science
Dates | 22 March – 17 May
Term 1 Week 8 - Term 2 Week 4
Time: 60-90 minutes
Tūhura | Explore
Students will examine submitted photographs of heritage sites around Mid and South Canterbury, exploring our regional history and the significance of place.
Waihanga | Create
Ākonga will create their own finished collage artworks using images of historical maps and sites.
This can be adapted to suit a range of ages and curriculum needs.
Image: Aigantighe Art Gallery, Timaru District. Courtesy of Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga or HNZPT
In Plain Site: Everyday Memorials
Curriculum Links | Social Science
Dates | 22 March – 17 May
Term 1 Week 8 - Term 2 Week 5
Time: 60-90 minutes
Tūhura | Explore
From traditional monuments to functional buildings, and even living memorials, this walking tour asks - what do these sites of memory tell us about our town and district? What do they commemorate, and for whom?
Ako | Learn
Students will learn how to orient themselves with a map while discovering diverse stories about the people, events, and changes that have been important to Ashburton community.
Image: Colourview postcard. Ashburton War Memorial, also shows former Ashburton Borough (District) Council building, circa 1974-1980s.
Nocturne, Kara Burrowes and Charrette van Eekelen
Curriculum Links | Visual Art
Dates | 02 May – 21 June
Term 2 Week 3 - Term 2 Week 9
Time: 60-90 minutes
Tūhura | Explore
In this intriguing exhibition, students will explore how a concept like ‘night,’ in which the familiar world softens and shifts, can be conveyed through textiles, colours, and shapes.
Waihanga | Create
Ākonga will create their own artwork using a range of fabric and mixed media, expressing the moods and images conjured by night.
- Literacy: We will look at some poems about night in relation to this exhibition, and students will be encouraged to develop their own creative writing in response to some of the ideas and images raised.
Image: Kara Burrowes, To Keep Me Safe, wooden frame and found objects
Painting New Zealand, Ian Scott
Curriculum Links | Visual Art | Art History
Dates | 02 May – 21 June
Term 2 Week 3 - Term 2 Week 9
Time: 60-90 minutes
Tūhura | Explore
Ākonga have a rare opportunity to view previously unseen and rare works by the important Aotearoa New Zealand artist, Ian Scott (1945–2017).
The exhibition showcases Scott’s varied approaches – a blend of portraiture, landscape, text, reproduction and abstraction across a 30-year career.
These works invite conversations about the art history that is often quoted within Scott’s paintings, allowing students to develop and articulate their own opinions.
Waihanga | Create
- Years 0–8 Students will draw from Scott’s paintings to craft their own vibrant pop art.
- Years 9–13 This exhibition will introduce ākonga to a wide range of artists. They can then create their own finished painting that may quote or appropriate found images.
Image: Ian Scott, Sacred Hill, 2004, acrylic and silkscreen on canvas. Collection of the Ian Scott Estate.
the cuckoo sings for me, for the mountain, Noel Meek
Curriculum Links | Visual Art | Social Science
Dates | 02 May – 21 June
Term 2 Week 3 - Term 2 Week 9
Time: 60-90 minutes
Tūhura | Explore
Noel Meek's installation combines music, video, and photography to present coal as an 'object of care'. Meek explores his own ancestral links to coalmining, as well as raising questions about Aotearoa’s complex relationship to this rock.
Ako | Learn
Activities can be adapted to suit a range of ages, and these could be a particularly interesting way to approach topics around our local and national history of coal mining.
Image: Noel Meek, Coal Score, 2025
Puaka Matariki: Matariki Herenga Waka
Curriculum Links | Te Ao Māori | Community Celebration
Dates | 30 May – 16 August
Term 2 Week 7 - Term 2 Week 11
Time: 60-90 minutes
Tūhura | Explore
This year’s Matariki theme translates to ‘Matariki is a mooring place for all canoes,’ expressing an invitation for people of all cultures and backgrounds to come together at this special time of year.
Celebrate with us in our annual exhibition, this year showcasing work by local rangitahi.
Permanent programmes
Living on the Land: Tākata Whenua o Hakatere
Social Science | Mahika Kai | Science
Learn about the area as it was used by tākata whenua – explore how natural resources were used for food and clothing, and the importance of Mahika kai. This workshop includes handling items from our collection, and can easily be transported to your classroom.
Extend this with a harakeke weaving workshop, learning about the tikanga and history of this precious plant while making a small craft to take home.
Harakeke will be provided depending on seasonal availability, with paper weaving as a substitute.
Rocks and Fossils
Science | Geology | Biology | Investigation
Learn about the geology of the district through a collection of our rocks and fossils which are found in surprising places around us. This can be adapted to primary schools.
Years 0-9: Use hands-on experiences of fossils to develop observational and critical skills, and to introduce ākonga to concepts such as geology, evolution, and time-scales
Years 10-13: Use evidence from these fossils to explore patterns of speciation and changes in geology
Exploring Printmaking
Intaglio | Woodcut | Screenprint | Lithograph
A selection of prints from our collection, including Many Uncoded Factors by Michael Armstrong which showcase and highlight different types of printmaking. Start a printmaking journey making monoprints. This can lead on to printmaking workshops.
This can be adapted to all year levels
Image: Nigel Brown, Moon's ocean, 1996, lithograph
Ng King Bros. Chinese Market Gardens
Multi-culturalism | Immigration | Social Science
Learn about the Ng King Bros. Chinese Market Garden site and glimpse inside this amazing piece of history that gives insight into both Chinese market gardening operations, as well as providing a social history of settlers who migrated to New Zealand, how they lived, contributed to and integrated into New Zealand society.
Whakatere Ashburton History
History | Social Science | Local knowledge
Take a guided tour through the geography and history of the Ashburton district, then let students work on their own observation skills with a scavenger hunt
Year levels: 0-8: This picture and word-based scavenger hunt through the museum gives us a brief overview of the district.
Year levels 9-13: A more in-depth scavenger hunt builds students’ language and research skills.
ESOL students: This scavenger hunt includes pre-visit vocabulary activities
Liquid Gold: Irrigation
Social Science | Literacy | Geography
Water has had a huge impact on all aspects of the Canterbury Plains Kā Pākihi-whakatekateka-a-Waitaha. Learn about and explore how water has moved throughout the district and enabled agriculture to grow.
This can be extended with a writing activity, where students report on an important milestone in the development of our irrigation system by researching and developing their own news article.
Natural Disaster History
Social Science | Response to disaster | Drama
Using props and costumes from our collection, create a role play to dramatize the travels of a correspondent who wrote a story for the Lyttleton Times about crossing the Ashburton river by coach during the dramatic flood of 1868.
This interactive activity brings history to life, while also allowing comparisons about disaster preparedness between the past and now.
Survivor WW1 Game
History | Interactive game | Problem solving | Social science
Years 3-9: The Survivor WW1 Game, provides a social, interactive, kinesthetic learning experience through experiential learning that “brings to life” the statistics, campaigns and artefacts of the NZ WW1 soldier.
Experimenting with Paint
Oil | Acrylic | Watercolour | Mixed Media
Experiment with various painting approaches and media through looking at paintings from our collection like Let that River by Jenna Packer
This can be adapted to all year levels
Image: Jenna Packer, Let that River (detail), 2018, acrylic on aluminium. Ashburton Art Gallery Inc. collection.
The making of The Moon and Farmer McPhee
After reading the story, we will explore the process and experience of working with Margaret Mahy that David has shared with us to create this wonderful story. We see planning sketches, the original artwork as well as the book
Play with clay!
In collaboration with the Hakatere Ceramic Studios, students can design and create their own pottery pieces, learning about the properties of clay and the process and history of glazing and firing along the way.
Materials and the costs of firing are provided by the gallery
Years 0-8: Create a vessel based around an animal of your choice
Year 9-13: Students examine the history of hand-building ceramics, looking at a range of spiritual, physical, cultural, historical, and technological settings. They then build their own vessel of significance, to embody their ideas, feelings, and actions.
Image: Work by a senior student from Ashburton Christian School.
Domain Tales
History | Navigation | Map-reading | Local geography
Take a guided walk through the domain using a map from 1937 and historical photographs. Compare and contrast changes over time while developing our navigation skills.
Tell us your interests
Do you have an idea for a learning programme at Ashburton Art Gallery and Museum?
Our educator can design a creative learning experience tailored to the needs and interests of your early childhood, primary and secondary school groups. Simply, contact us with your idea and we will work together to create a programme for your students.
Planning a visit
Materials:
All materials for workshops at the Gallery and Museum and at schools will be provided unless stated otherwise. School visits will require schools to provide a projector and full classroom space.
Ratios:
For visiting the Gallery and Museum, we recommend organising an adult to student ratio of:
– 1:5 for Years 0-3
– 1:8 for Years 4-8
– 1:15 for Years 9-10
– 1:30 for Years 11-13
If would be helpful if teachers are able to carry a class register in the case of an emergency.
Arriving at the Gallery and Museum:
The Ashburton Art Gallery and Museum is located on 327 West Street. The Gallery is situated on the first floor and the Museum is on the ground floor. If you are planning to arrive before 10:00am, please inform a Gallery and Museum staff member so they are able to let you into the building. The doors automatically open at 10:00am. For everyone’s enjoyment please ensure that students demonstrate respect to our other visitors.
Help us protect the exhibitions at the Gallery and Museum:
If possible we would advise leaving bags at school, however, if necessary bags can be left in the Learning Centre on arrival. Food and drink are not permitted in the Gallery and Museum spaces. However, food can be consumed in the Learning Centre area if needed. No pens or sharp objects are allowed in the Gallery and Museum spaces. Please let the Gallery and Museum staff know if you wish to photograph the artwork, teachers are more than welcome to take pictures of their students in the Gallery and Museum spaces and Learning Centre. Please emphasise to students the importance of not touching any artworks or objects on display. We don’t mind talking and noise in the Gallery and Museum but for safety reasons, we do not allow running in the foyer or exhibition spaces.
Risk Assessment and Management (RAMs):
Please download and read.
Publicity:
Gallery and Museum staff love documenting school visits so please advise us if your students do not wish to be photographed.