Arts Murihiku

What Arts Murihiku does

Arts Murihiku is the designated regional arts body for Southland/Murihiku, New Zealand, operating as a nonprofit Arts Trust headquartered at Whare Taupua, a community arts space at 34 Forth Street, Invercargill. The organization supports, connects, grows, promotes, and advocates for the local arts sector across five primary customer segments: local artists and creatives (primary), arts organizations and groups, general community members, local businesses and sponsors, and young people (Tamariki and Rangatahi). Its core product surface includes Whare Taupua (a multi-room hireable venue with gallery, meeting room, studio, and sun room spaces), a searchable Creative Directory profiling regional artists and organizations, a regional Events Calendar, and the MAILBOX Print Programme featuring local artists via The Southland Times.

The organization runs three signature annual events — the Southland Arts Trail (spanning Invercargill & Coastal, Te Anau & Districts, and Gore & Districts), the Southland Creative Arts Awards, and Night of the Arts (NoTA) — alongside recurring programming such as ROCKET FUEL online workshops and Drop-in and Draw sessions. Arts Murihiku's primary revenue stream is government funding, including a NZ$448,800 grant from Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage's Regeneration Fund for the Pathways for the Arts programme (Jan 2023 – June 2024). Secondary revenue comes from venue hire (hourly rates tiered by user type: koha for not-for-profit, $5–$20/hr for for-profit, $15–$40/hr for commercial), 20% commissions on gallery artworks sold, event ticket sales (e.g., NZ$130 per Awards dinner ticket), and quasi-administrative services directing Creative Communities Scheme funds to local projects. Distribution relies on a community-led, event-driven, and direct-to-consumer go-to-market motion through organic social (Facebook, Instagram), email newsletter, the artsmurihiku.co.nz website, and earned-media partnerships with STUFF/Southern Outlook, The Southland Times, and Great South's southlandnz.com.

Headcount is approximately 7 employees, including Gallery Curator Bindy Anderson and Admin & Promotions lead Jeannie Dyer. The underlying technology is a WordPress-based website (Elementor/WP) with social media integration; there is no proprietary tech stack, no AI/ML capability, no app, and no API. The organization is governed by trustees and operates as a community-based nonprofit rather than a venture-backed entity, with strategic stability derived from its designated regional arts body status and ecosystem relationships with Creative New Zealand, Invercargill City Council, and Southland District Council.

Name

Arts Murihiku

Legal name

Arts Murihiku

Website

https://artsmurihiku.co.nz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Arts Murihiku is Southland/Murihiku's designated regional nonprofit arts body, operating Whare Taupua community arts space, a Creative Directory, annual events (Arts Trail, Creative Arts Awards, Night of the Arts), and funding-administration services for local artists, councils, and Creative New Zealand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Arts Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH), Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions (THAJADAJ)

Keywords

• Regional arts body
• Community arts venue
• Arts event management
• Creative directory services
• Arts funding administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Invercargill

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Arts Murihiku receives government funding from Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage, including a $448,800 grant for the Pathways Project (Jan 2023 - June 2024). Also administers Creative Communities Scheme funding on behalf of Invercargill City Council and Southland District Council.
2. Venue Hire: Revenue generated from hiring out Whare Taupua community arts space, including gallery spaces, meeting rooms, and studios. Commission of 20% on artworks sold through exhibitions.
3. Event Tickets: Revenue from ticket sales for events such as the Southland Creative Arts Awards gala dinner and other arts events and workshops.
4. Funding Administration: Arts Murihiku helps direct funding opportunities to local artists through information sharing and administration support for Creative Communities Scheme.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Arts Murihiku operates as Southland's regional arts body, providing community arts venue hire at Whare Taupua, running a Creative Directory of local artists, organizing signature annual events (Southland Arts Trail, Southland Creative Arts Awards, Night of the Arts), delivering artist development workshops (ROCKET FUEL, Drop-in and Draw), publishing the MAILBOX Print Programme, and administering Creative Communities Scheme funding information to support, connect, grow, promote and advocate for the arts across Murihiku/Southland.

Product overview

Arts Murihiku operates as Southland's regional arts body providing a portfolio of interconnected programs and services. The core offerings include Whare Taupua (a hireable community arts venue), the Creative Directory (a searchable database of local artists), and an Events Calendar for regional arts promotion. Annual signature events include the Southland Arts Trail, Southland Creative Arts Awards, and Night of the Arts festival. Supporting programs include the MAILBOX Print Programme (artist features in print media), ROCKET FUEL workshops, Drop-in and Draw sessions, and funding resources. Together these services support, connect, grow, promote, and advocate for arts in Murihiku/Southland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Whare Taupua Community Arts Venue Hire Community arts space in central Invercargill available for hire, offering a Main Gallery, Small Gallery/Meeting Room, Studio, Sun Room, and the entire venue. Available for art exhibitions, workshops, meetings, and events. Pricing tiers include koha (donation) for not-for-profit small rooms, $5-$15 per hour for for-profit activities, and $15-$40 per hour for commercial use, plus a 20% commission on artworks sold through exhibitions. Target users include community groups, not-for-profits, artists, and commercial hirers.
• Creative Directory A searchable online directory profiling creatives, artists, groups, organizations, and creative spaces in Murihiku/Southland, enabling discovery and connection within the regional artistic community. Artists can self-submit profiles via a dedicated signup form.
• Events Calendar An up-to-date online calendar of creative events happening around the Southland region, with tools for event submission and promotion distributed in partnership with Great South via southlandnz.com.
• Southland Arts Trail A regional arts trail event across Southland featuring three interconnected trails (Invercargill & Coastal, Te Anau & Districts, Gore & Districts) with open studios, galleries, and pop-up exhibitions over two weekends. The 2026 edition is referenced on the Arts Murihiku website.
• Southland Creative Arts Awards Annual gala awards dinner celebrating and recognising achievements in the local arts sector, featuring multiple award categories including Lifetime Achievement, Leadership in the Arts, Creative Excellence, and Supreme Award. Ticketed event with venue sponsorship (e.g., Ascot Park Hotel for 2026).
• Night of the Arts (NoTA) A fringe festival and street art event transforming Invercargill's city centre into a hub of live performance, art installations, music, and hands-on creative activities. The 2026 edition is referenced on the Arts Murihiku website.
• MAILBOX Print Programme A print programme showcasing local artists through featured articles and artworks published weekly in The Southland Times, with archived editions available on the Arts Murihiku website.
• ROCKET FUEL Workshop Series Monthly online sessions delivering artistic development content to artists across Southland, featuring specialist presenters covering various creative disciplines.
• Drop-in and Draw A recurring creative practice space held every second Thursday, focusing on drawing as an extended field through ideas, prompts, and encouragement for experimentation.
• Creative Communities Scheme Funding Administration Information, guidance, and administration support for the Creative Communities Scheme administered by Invercargill City Council and Southland District Council, helping artists and community projects access Creative New Zealand funding (over $3.2 million annually supporting ~1,800 projects nationally, average grant around $2,000 per project).

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Great SouthcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Great South (regional tourism organization) to promote arts events through the southlandnz.com events calendar and coordinate regional event promotion efforts.
• Creative New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative New Zealand provides the Creative Communities Scheme funding ($3.2 million annually supporting ~1,800 projects). Arts Murihiku helps direct this funding to Southland artists and administers scheme information.
• Invercargill City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvercargill City Council administers the Creative Communities Invercargill Scheme, providing funding to local arts projects in the Invercargill area.
• Southland District CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouthland District Council administers the Southland District Council Creative Communities Scheme, providing funding to local arts projects in the Southland district.
• STUFF / Allied MediaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with STUFF publications for monthly arts features in Southern Outlook printed pages and online content promotion.
• He Waka TuiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for joint events including the 'Handling Rejection in the Arts' panel discussion, combining arts sector support efforts.
• Southland EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts education partnership providing after-school art space and creative programmes for young people through Southland Education facilities.
• Creative Fibre SouthlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation with Creative Fibre Southland for fibre arts programming including Stop-by & Stitch sessions at Whare Taupua.
• South Sea Spray TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEOW founded South Sea Spray Trust which has completed over 100 public artworks in Southland over 6 years, with plans for future public art installations including South Sea Spray Wāhine.
• The Southland TimesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Southland Times publishes the MAILBOX Print Programme featuring local artists weekly, providing visibility and recognition for Southland creatives.
• The Ascot Park HotelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue sponsor for Southland Creative Arts Awards 2026, providing gala dinner venue for the annual awards celebration.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Toi Pōneke: Wellington City Council's community arts centre providing venue hire, gallery space, and artist development programmes. Directly comparable to Arts Murihiku's Whare Taupua model of multi-purpose community arts space hire.
• Arts Northland: Regional arts body for Te Tai Tokerau/Northland, the closest functional peer to Arts Murihiku — also a designated regional arts organization delivering programmes, events, and artist support in a defined New Zealand region.
• Te Tuhi: Auckland-based contemporary art space offering exhibitions, education programmes, and community engagement. Comparable as a regional community arts organization combining gallery operations, education, and artist development.
• Tātau Tātau o Te Arawa: Iwi-mandated arts and cultural organization in the Rotorua region delivering programmes, funding administration, and events. Comparable to Arts Murihiku as a regional cultural body supporting artists and community cultural development.

Regional players

• Waikato Museum: Regional museum and cultural institution serving the Waikato region with exhibitions, education, and public programming. Comparable as a regional cultural institution, though more collection-focused than Arts Murihiku's community-arts support model.
• Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū: Major regional public art gallery in the South Island delivering exhibitions and arts programming. Comparable as a regional South Island arts institution, though at significantly larger scale and with a gallery-led rather than community-body operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Creative New Zealand: National arts development agency of New Zealand that funds and administers the Creative Communities Scheme flowing to regional arts bodies including Arts Murihiku. Comparable as the umbrella public-sector funder in the same ecosystem, though operating at national rather than regional scale.
• Arts Foundation (New Zealand): National charitable trust providing grants, awards, and support to New Zealand artists. Comparable to Arts Murihiku in mission (arts advocacy, funding administration, recognition) but operating nationally rather than regionally.

Others

• Great South: Regional tourism and economic development agency for Southland that Arts Murihiku partners with on event distribution via southlandnz.com. Included as a regional ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor.
• Invercargill City Council: Local government authority that administers the Creative Communities Invercargill Scheme and is a strategic funder of Arts Murihiku. Included as a core funding and policy partner in the regional arts ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/artsmurihiku
• Instagraminstagram.com/artsmurihiku
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arts-murihiku

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arts Murihiku