DPAG ARTPOST #292

By Dunedin Public Art Gallery | Posted: Tuesday Jul 07, 2026

And then... New in the Whānau Gallery

Whenever I begin a new exhibition, I hold to a simple philosophy shaped by my teaching background: I imagine being in the gallery with visitors. I think about what I might ask them to do, what they might notice, and how the artworks might spark conversation. My intention is to create a space where looking closely, wondering aloud, and sharing ideas feels as natural as looking at the art itself.

When two enchanting, newly acquired, paintings by Saskia Leek arrived at Dunedin Public Art Gallery, they immediately set my imagination racing. They seemed to begin a story without revealing how it ends. I wondered who had just left, where they were going, and what might happen next. Soon enough I was pairing them with other works from the collection, each one adding another chapter in the adventure.

Those two paintings became the starting point for And then..., the new exhibition in our Whānau Gallery.

Bringing together 33 artworks from the collection, And then... invites visitors of all ages to become storytellers. Inspired by Choose Your Own Adventure books, with a gentle nod to the archetypes of tarot, the exhibition encourages people to choose artworks, build their own narrative, and share it.

Along the way, visitors can collect illustrated cards featuring the works to use for their own storytelling. Many of the artworks are small, rewarding those who take the time to lean in and look closely. I hope people discover unexpected details, make surprising connections, and, most of all, enjoy talking about what they see. If And then... sends them home still wondering what happens next, or inspires a story they had not expected to tell, then it has done exactly what I hoped it would.

In the meantime, I have already started to imagine those moments: children sitting on the soft carpet in front of the works, families debating which image comes first, someone quietly deciding that a small detail changes everything.

I think of the exhibition as a space activated by the conversations visitors bring to it. And so I find myself curious about what it will become once it opens, and how it will be shaped by the stories people create as they move through it.

Noho ora mai,
Jen Boland
Community Curator
Dunedin Public Art Gallery