Auckland Art Gallery Foundation exists to help Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki capture, protect, and share art that matters to Aotearoa New Zealand. Through donor support, we fund exhibitions, acquisitions, publications, education, and the people who bring art to life.
$26 million
Raised for Auckland Art Gallery since 2005
$21 million
Gifted to Auckland Art Gallery redevelopment project 2011
$153 million
Value of artworks gifted through the Foundation to the Auckland Art Gallery collection.
$8.3 million
Donations pledged since 2016
$6.1 million
Endowment fund 30 June 2025
$2.5 million
Gifted to Auckland Art Gallery projects since 2016
Auckland Art Gallery Foundation was established in 2005 to lead the fundraising campaign for Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki’s award-winning redevelopment which opened in 2011. Now our mission is to grow and maintain the endowment fund that fuels Auckland Art Gallery’s future.
In 2020, with the support of our donors, the Foundation created a curatorial position dedicated to Pacific art, with Ane Tonga as the inaugural curator. She continues to lead this important work today. From 2024, the Foundation has also supported a curatorial assistant role, giving emerging curators vital professional experience. Ruth Minh Ha, the first appointee, is now the Irene Fisher Assistant Curator at Gus Fisher Gallery, Auckland. The next curatorial assistant will be appointed in early 2026, continuing our commitment to nurturing the next generation of curatorial talent.
The Foundation has funded significant exhibitions including:
Light from Tate: 1700s to Now 2023
Declaration: A Pacific Feminist Agenda 2022
Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera: Art and Life in Modern Mexico 2022
Robin White: Something’s Happening Here 2022
Toi Tū Toi Ora: Contemporary Maori Art 2021
Ever Present: First People’s Art Australia
Guo Pei: Fashion Fantasy/ 郭培:时装之幻梦
Aotearoa Contemporary 2024
Modern Women: Flight of Time 2024
Olafur Eliasson: Your curious journey 2024
Mark Adams: A Survey | He Kohinga Whakaahua 2025
A Century of Modern Art: Treasure from the Toledo Museum Ohio 2025
Pop to Present: Pop to Present: American Art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts 2025
The Foundation’s fund has been used to acquire important pieces of art for the permanent collection. The Foundation also facilitates bequests to Auckland Art Gallery collection, including the promised gift of Julian and Josie Robertson. The Foundation also continues to support the E H McCormick Research Library and Archive, ensuring the future of this important resource for the arts community.