Urban, contemporary gallery takes up residency in Country Lane
The Arts Hole is Queenstown's first and only urban, contemporary art gallery featuring exciting works from emerging and established artists, including the likes of Banksy. They moved into the School House Studios in Country Lane earlier this year and are excited to present something different to Queenstown’s art scene.
Started in 2023 by Tom and his partner Chani, they made the big decision during the pandemic to follow their passion and to start their own gallery. Chani, an art teacher and talented ceramicist and Tom, who has always been involved in street culture and long had a passion for street art. They saw a huge gap in the market for urban art and a fresh, modern approach to running a gallery.
"We wanted to create something different, something where everyone is welcome, normalising the gallery space and making art more accessible," Tom explains. "It’s evolved a lot since we started. We lived in Wellington at the time, we were online and then we relocated back to Queenstown. We had the chance to take the gallery to a physical space, which was always the plan."
It’s been an exciting period of growth for The Arts Hole – not without the challenges that come with being a small business at the moment. Tom says that it's been a rollercoaster journey but they’re confident that Queenstown is the right place for this type of art space.
“We want to make sure that when people walk in, they see something completely different. We are working with some incredibly exciting artists already and have lots of amazing things in the works for next year"
They’re keen to work with local artists too and are always on the lookout for the right fit – for both sides – a much more modern, contemporary vibe with a street/urban focus. The smaller gallery space allows for more intimate exhibitions and a selective curation of works that fit in with what they’re trying to achieve.
“We’re really big on the personal connection around it – we have a distinct vibe and a very staunch vision on what we’re trying to do, and it’s really important that the artists are also in on that as well. We like to connect with people personally and make sure the vibe is right for them as well"
They’re already ramping up for 2026 with some exciting things on the horizon. They're in the middle of their second major exhibition since opening and are about to lock in the third in 2026.
"Regular exhibitions will be a big part of what we do, there's some incredible talent out there at the moment and we cannot wait to bring it to Queenstown. There’s so many sides to Queenstown, it’s got all of these unique facets, which is fantastic and that’s why we love it here. There’s a whole segment of the art market that hasn’t had as much representation here, either from a buying perspective or from an artist perspective.”
That’s what The Arts Hole wants to support for the future – the growth of Queenstown and the region’s arts community, supporting bold, fresh, exciting art for the people here who want that.
“So many people live here for the lifestyle and the landscape, and what we do – our corner of the market, and I appreciate I’m very biased – from that side of the arts and culture, we really want to push that forward and be a part of that growth of Queenstown that is happening every day, and hopefully we’ll see more of it,” Tom says.
The Arts Hole's latest exhibition, From the Streets to the Peaks, will run until the end of this week, with the next exhibition already in the works. For more information on the gallery, upcoming exhibitions, and the artists/work on display, head to theartshole.co.nz
