An Art and Interiors Lover's Guide to Nelson Tasman

Hot Clay is Whakatū Nelson’s home for contemporary and innovative ceramics and sculptural items. The gallery stocks pieces from a dozen or so New Zealand artisans in its narrow, light-filled gallery, as well as exhibitions in its compact back room. Pieces range from the elevated every day—think colourful mugs perfect for cupping in your hands or serving dishes—to larger, display-worthy avant-garde items. Either way, something is sure to catch your eye. And if you’re feeling inspired, check out Kiln Studio on Bridge Street, which regularly hosts throwing and moulding workshops.

Nelson’s preeminent (and free!) art gallery-come-museum, The Suter Art Gallery packs a lot into its three main exhibition spaces. Displays often pull from its extensive collection of local artists, giving you a sense of the region’s aesthetic throughout the years. The Suter Store offers a curated selection of products—from jewellery and ceramics to intricate weavings, and even local honey.

You’ll know you’ve found flamedaisy when you spot the vibrant pink walls and eye-catching glass sculpture hanging from the front window. Here, artist Anthony Genet crafts hand-blown glass and neon art. Step inside and marvel at the swirls of colour in the mugs, vases and complex sculptures on offer.

If you don’t see exactly what you want, bespoke commissions are always an option. And if you’re extra lucky, you might spot Anthony at work in the studio area next to the gallery.

If you’re shopping for a special something for yourself or that particularly picky person in your whānau, look no further than Little Beehive Co-op. This city centre store is bursting with colourful, quirky items made by over a dozen local artists. With everything from knitwear to ceramics, makeup, jewellery and eclectic prints and other home goods, any purchase is like taking a work of art home with you. Chat with whichever artist is staffing the store that day for additional insight into their work.

Part design store, part gallery and part casual café, Red Gallery & Café is the perfect intersection between art and accessible style. Meander through the heritage building—a former printing press—and admire the selection of elevated home goods available; the wall of quirky greeting cards is particularly noteworthy (pun intended). Then step towards the back to check out the current exhibition (and potentially acquire a new piece for your own collection). To further feel like you’re dining in an art museum, in the designated cafe area, you can sip on a Peoples Coffee while surrounded by even more artwork. 

The funky township of Tākaka has long been known for its vibrant and varied creative community. You’ll come across many a studio and gallery just by meandering down the main drag—discover woodcarvings, weavings, paintings and other fine and craft arts by local artists at Art Vault Takaka, Monza Gallery and the collective Paper Scissors Rock; jewellery created from up-cycled glass bottles at StoneArrow; and handcrafted felt hats and botanically dyed clothing at Wayward Rabbit.

One of Nelson’s best independent booksellers, Volume stocks an impressive selection of fiction, children’s books, art-design offerings and more. The store has floor-to-ceiling windows, tempting passersby inside with shelves of colourful spines. Owners Stella and Thomas have a wealth of industry experience, and if there’s something you’re looking for that Volume doesn’t happen to have, they can order it for you. There’s even a Reading Subscription, where you can gift yourself (or someone else) a year of handpicked books.

The joint studio-gallery of ceramists Owen Bartlett and Katie Gold, Bartlett and Gold Gallery is situated in a historic house in the Upper Moutere that dates back to the 1870s. Its atmospheric garden is anchored by a vibrant, 100-year-old wisteria, as well as other blooms. Owen and Katie’s colourful pieces are artfully displayed throughout the house’s ground floor, which you can meander through to appreciate at your leisure, or pause to chat with the artists to find that perfect display object or a new favourite mug or plate for your home.