The Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū is a public art gallery with free entry In Central Christchurch. It has a significant art collection and hosts NZ and international exhibitions. The gallery has a stunning modern design and was opened in 2003 to replace the Robert McDougall Art Gallery. The Māori name elements refer to Wai Puna, the artesian spring beneath the gallery, and Waiwhetu, a nearby tributary to the Avon River / Ōtākaro. Waiwhetu can also be translated as “water in which stars are reflected”.
A competition to design the new gallery was launched in 1998 and won by the Buchan Group. The gallery's forecourt features a large sculpture called "Reason for Voyaging," a collaboration between the sculptor Graham Bennett and the architect David Cole.
The gallery was designed to withstand earthquakes and was used as Christchurch's Civil Defence headquarters in 2010 and 2011. However, some damage was sustained, and repairs took until 2015.
A particular feature of the gallery is Bill Culbert’s Bebop, represented by Formica chairs and tables hanging from the ceiling. In 2013, it was first installed in a corridor in a church in Venice and then in the gallery in 2015 for the reopening. The artist found the colourful tables and chairs in flea markets and attic sales near his studio in southern France. The title of the work comes from one of the tables and refers to a style of jazz music.
The gallery faces Montreal Street and is between Gloucester Street and Worcester Boulevard. It is around the corner from the Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora and one block from Ravenscar and the Botanic Gardens.
