Our Purpose:
To promote and encourage all forms of art and community participation, providing a place for everyone to experience and explore art.
Our diversity statement:
The Upstairs Gallery is committed to providing a welcoming, inclusive, and equitable environment for all people who work, volunteer, or visit. We respect and value all people regardless of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.
GALLERY
The Upstairs Gallery is a community-centered space that supports and promotes emerging artists - young and old.
We see ourselves as a hub for local artists and art lovers, a place for the community to get together to socialise and showcase the artwork of all mediums, and offer an opportunity for everyone to connect with art. We’re making art accessible to all.
Set in Titirangi’s iconic Lopdell House, there's nowhere else we’d rather be than the foothills of the beautiful Waitakere Ranges.
We love what we do so much, you'll find us here from 10am - 4pm, Monday to Sunday!
EXHIBITIONS
There are around 20 exhibitions per year with a mix of solo and group shows.
We also host several events and community competitions to raise awareness of the gallery and promote arts within West Auckland and the wider Auckland region.
Our annual Emerging Artist Awards is a flagship event for the gallery and the popular ‘cash and carry’ Christmas show always attracts a lot of interest!
And for one month of the year, we hand over the gallery walls to our future artists inviting the younger generation from local schools and groups.
Email us at gallery@upstairs.org.nz if you are interested in exhibiting with us.
OUR VIBE
We rely hugely on our wonderful sponsors, the support of our community volunteers and our paid gallery members being a not-for-profit community art gallery.
We're governed by the Titirangi Community Arts Council (TCAC) and partly funded by the Auckland Council.
TCAC was established in 1978 by the Arts Guild and they drove the acquisition of Lopdell House as an arts centre as well as establishing the Lopdell House Society.
The TCAC became an Incorporated Society in 2004 (149492) and became a registered Charitable Organisation in 2008 (CC27621). The committee is elected annually by a subscribing membership and has been in existence since the early 1980s.
We think that's a pretty important part of our local art history and it’s great that we can continue to support community art projects.