"...the gallery has quality and originality in its works and that augurs well for future exhibitions". - Sam Edwards, Waikato Times review 14 May 2019

In the beginning

The original Welcome Swallow Gallery was situated entirely within the confines of the gift shop itself. While some art has been retained in the gift section, new Exhibitions take place exclusively in the space adjacent to where gifts are located. In keeping with developing broad community engagement we continue to feature, primarily, local artists across a range of media that includes paintings, ceramics, sculpture and textiles. We also have established a "Feature of the month" that focuses on a single piece of art work. For further details, visit our blog. 

Exhibitions and sponsors

The  Welcome Swallow Gallery opened on 1st May 2019 and is a significant addition to art facilities in the Waikato. The first Exhibition entitled celebration ran from 1st May to 1 August 2019 and was co-sponsored by our launch Partners, Ebbett Audi whose dealership is also located in Hamilton East. 

The second exhibition threads of life ran from 9 August to 20 September and featured tapestries, quilts and mixed media as well as traditional wall-hung art. Ebbett Audi sponsored this exhibition as well as the raglan art with risk exhibition that launched on 27th September and ran until 27 October. November 1st saw the start of the exhibition christmas in the gallery that  ran until 10 January 2020 with sponsor Enlighten Designs.

Prints in the Gallery that ran from early January to 12th February, included works from Sir William Russell Flint, together with prints from our established Welcome Swallow artists. The Flint prints were shown in partnership with the Jonathan Grant Galleries in Auckland. 

Our first exhibition in 2020, entitled The Waikato Watercolourists, launched on 14th February. During this time the Gallery presented a special exhibit of four pieces from Frances Hodgkins, sponsored by our long time corporate partner Ebbett Audi. Following on from Hodgkins's 150th anniversary celebrated in May of 2019, this was the largest display of her work ever seen in the Waikato. Additionally, the "Feature of the Month" was an important watercolour from Rita Angus who spent the summer of 1943 painting in and around Banks Peninsula.

The gallery has now shown over 15 exhibitions and in doing so, continues to push the curatorial boundaries