Most people walk past ArtsPost a dozen times before someone tells them to go inside. It is that kind of place – no loud signage, no queue out the door – just a beautifully restored heritage building at 120 Victoria Street quietly hosting some of the best contemporary New Zealand art you can see for free, any day of the week.
Once you know it is there, you will keep coming back. That is the nature of ArtsPost. It changes. Three galleries cycle through fresh exhibitions roughly every five to six weeks, which adds up to more than twelve new shows across the building per year. What was on when you visited six weeks ago is completely different from what is there today. For Hamilton locals who walk along Victoria Street regularly, it is one of the easiest ways to stay connected to the city’s creative scene without planning, booking, or spending a cent.
For visitors who want to take something genuinely Kiwi home, the shop inside sells exclusively New Zealand-made art and design. Not tourist merchandise. Actual work made by actual New Zealand artists – ceramics, paintings, prints, jewellery, textiles – at prices that range from a $15 print to a significant original artwork.
The Building Is Worth a Visit Before You Even Get to the Art
The building is a crucial part of the experience and it is worth knowing a little about it before you arrive. ArtsPost is housed in Hamilton’s former Post and Telegraph Office – one of the city’s most prominent heritage structures, carefully restored and repurposed into what it is today. The architecture gives the interior gallery spaces genuine volume and natural light, which makes the art look better and the visit feel more substantial than a typical commercial gallery.
It sits in the Waikato Museum complex on Victoria Street, co-located with the Hamilton i-SITE visitor centre. If you are arriving in Hamilton for the first time and stopping at the i-SITE to get your bearings, you are already standing next to one of the city’s most consistently interesting cultural destinations. Walk through the door.
The Waikato Museum is directly adjacent and shares management with ArtsPost – if you are spending a morning exploring Hamilton’s cultural precinct, these two venues together give you a full morning without needing to go anywhere else.
Three Galleries, Each With Its Own Identity
ArtsPost splits its exhibition space across three named galleries, each named after people or organisations who have shaped the Waikato arts community. This structure is worth understanding because it means the galleries operate with a degree of independence from each other – different shows, different scale, different mediums – all under the same roof on the same visit.
Ida Carey Gallery typically hosts larger group exhibitions, themed shows, and significant annual events. This is where you are most likely to find a survey of work from across a region or a major competition exhibition spanning dozens of artists.
Margot Phillips Gallery is used for solo and smaller group shows – the kind of exhibition where an artist takes the space as their own and presents a cohesive body of work. These shows tend to be the most intimate and coherent in terms of artistic statement.
Chartwell Gallery completes the trio and rounds out the rotational programming. With three galleries operating independently, there is effectively always something new on, and a repeat visit after a few weeks will typically show at least one completely fresh show even if you were just there.
The range of mediums represented is deliberately broad. Ceramics, oil and acrylic painting, printmaking, sculpture, fibre art, jewellery, photography, glass, and mixed media work have all featured across ArtsPost’s programming. NeatPlaces describes it well: “Split into three galleries, ArtsPost has plenty on show all through the year, and with exhibitions changing regularly, it means there’s plenty of new talent on display each time you visit.”
The Waikato Society of Arts and ArtsPost
One of the most significant ongoing relationships ArtsPost holds is with the Waikato Society of Arts (WSA) – one of New Zealand’s oldest and most active regional arts organisations. The WSA regularly uses ArtsPost as its primary exhibition venue, and the scale of these shows is impressive.
The WSA Members Exhibition – an annual showcase of Waikato artists – featured 70 artists in a single show at ArtsPost, making it one of the largest group exhibitions of local talent held anywhere in the Waikato region. The 2025 New Zealand Painting and Printmaking Awards exhibition, also hosted at ArtsPost, presented 65 selected works and ran across multiple weeks, drawing visitors from across the country.
These major annual exhibitions are worth specifically planning around if you want to see the full breadth of what is being made in the Waikato creative community. Check ArtsPost’s social channels and the WSA website at wsa.org.nz for upcoming dates each year.
The Shop: NZ Art You Can Actually Buy
The shop is genuinely one of the best places in Hamilton to buy something New Zealand-made that is not generic. Every item sold at ArtsPost is made by a New Zealand artist or designer. The range covers:
Original paintings and works on paper, from established local artists to emerging talent.
Limited edition and one-off prints – the print baskets at ArtsPost are specifically noted by the team as a highlight, full of “original one-off and edition prints” across a range of styles and sizes. These start at prices accessible to most budgets.
Handcrafted ceramics, jewellery, and sculptural objects – the kind of pieces that feel meaningfully made rather than mass-produced.
Textiles, giftware, and design objects that reflect what is being made in New Zealand right now.
TripAdvisor reviewers consistently call the shop out as an excellent option for finding NZ-made gifts: “A colourful range of ceramics, prints, paintings and jewellery can be found both here and on their online shop. There’s a proud sense of Kiwiana in-store, magnified by the fact that all the pieces are of high quality and have been made by Kiwis themselves.”
One reviewer specifically noted the team’s care in helping pack an artwork safely for international hand luggage travel – a practical detail that matters if you are visiting Hamilton from overseas and want to take something home. The shop also operates an online store through the Waikato Museum website, so pieces can be browsed and purchased after your visit.
Who ArtsPost Is For
This is a venue that genuinely serves two very different visitor types equally well, which is rarer than it sounds.
If you are a Hamilton local who cares about the city’s creative scene, ArtsPost is the place to stay connected to working artists in the region. The rotating programme means the gallery is never stale, and the regular WSA and community exhibitions mean you are seeing work made by people who live and work in the same city you do.
If you are visiting Hamilton and want to understand something real about the place beyond its cafes and parks, ArtsPost is the cultural stop that gives you access to the creative community. The art on the walls is being made by people from this region. That context makes the work more meaningful than anything hanging in a generic commercial gallery.
Both types of visitor leave with something: an experience, an idea of what Hamilton’s creative scene looks like, or an object made by someone who put genuine skill and intention into it.
After ArtsPost, the Waikato Museum is steps away. If you are in the mood for a walk, the Hamilton City River Ride and Walks trail begins nearby along the Waikato River and takes you south toward Hamilton Gardens in around 30 to 40 minutes on foot.
Opening Hours and Practical Information
- Address: 120 Victoria Street, Hamilton Central 3204
- Phone: 838 6928
- Admission: Free to all three galleries
- Website: Waikato Society of Arts
- Online shop: Available through the Waikato Museum website
- Photography: Permitted for personal use – check with gallery staff for any exhibition-specific restrictions
Location of ArtsPost Galleries and Shop Hamilton
FAQs About ArtsPost Galleries and Shop Hamilton
Is ArtsPost Hamilton free to visit?
Yes. Admission to all three galleries at ArtsPost is completely free, every day. The shop sells New Zealand-made art and design at a range of price points, but there is no entry cost and no obligation to buy.
What are the opening hours at ArtsPost?
ArtsPost is open daily from 10:00am to 5:00pm, including weekends. Check directly with ArtsPost via the Waikato Museum for any changes over public holiday periods.
How often do the exhibitions change at ArtsPost?
New exhibitions open across the three galleries every five to six weeks, which means ArtsPost presents more than twelve new shows per year. With three galleries rotating independently, there is almost always something completely new to see on a return visit.
Who runs ArtsPost Galleries and Shop?
ArtsPost is managed by Waikato Museum and is dedicated to developing and promoting artists in the Waikato region. It has strong ongoing ties with the Waikato Society of Arts, which uses ArtsPost as a primary venue for its annual exhibitions.
Can I buy art at ArtsPost?
Yes. The ArtsPost shop sells exclusively New Zealand-made art and design, including original paintings, limited edition prints, ceramics, jewellery, textiles, and giftware. An online shop is also available through the Waikato Museum website.
Where is ArtsPost in relation to the Waikato Museum?
ArtsPost is directly adjacent to the Waikato Museum at 120 Victoria Street, forming part of the same cultural complex. They share management under Waikato Museum. Both are walkable from Hamilton CBD and the Waikato River.
Can I exhibit my work at ArtsPost?
Artists can apply to hire the gallery spaces for exhibitions. The selection process looks at portfolio and practice. Contact ArtsPost through the Waikato Museum for information on how to apply.
