SCAPE Public

What SCAPE Public does

SCAPE Public Art (legally SCAPE Public Art Trust) is a charitable trust founded in 1998 and headquartered at Level 1, 301 Montreal St in Ōtautahi Christchurch, New Zealand. The organization produces contemporary public art for Christchurch City and Selwyn District, operating an annual six-week public art season (since migrating from a biennial model in 2016) alongside a permanent collection of 19 installed artworks and a back catalog of 216+ temporary works. SCAPE commissions both New Zealand and international artists — including Antony Gormley, Neil Dawson, Phil Price, Julia Morison, and Seung Yul Oh — and complements its exhibitions with free education programmes for schools, guided walks, artist talks, and the Re:ACTIVATE youth competition programme.

The organization's core offerings comprise annual Season Exhibitions, a permanent artworks collection, the Education Programme, the online Art Shop (selling prints and merchandise from $50 to $2,353), the Re:ACTIVATE Aspiring Artists competition, and a Patron Programme. None of these rely on proprietary technology; SCAPE's "platform" is its physical footprint of public art, its curatorial relationships, and a self-guided Art Map distributed through its website and printable PDFs. Free public access is the explicit product principle.

Revenue is assembled from four streams: donations (any-size koha), Art Shop sales, corporate sponsorship (heavily weighted toward construction and engineering firms supporting Christchurch's rebuild), and an annual Patron Programme. The primary commissioning counterparty is Christchurch City Council, with secondary support from Creative New Zealand, the Rata Foundation, and the Lion Foundation. SCAPE is independent, governed by a board of trustees chaired by Graham Dockrill, and led by Executive Director Rachel Jefferies and Managing Curator Aaron Kreisler; it has approximately 10 employees and no parent company or venture backing.

Name

SCAPE Public

Legal name

SCAPE Public Art Trust

Website

https://scapepublicart.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SCAPE Public Art is a Christchurch-based charitable trust that produces contemporary public art installations, running an annual six-week season and maintaining 19 permanent artworks across the city and Selwyn District. It serves the general public, schools, and government partners including Christchurch City Council, funded through donations, sponsorships, art sales, and patron memberships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Christchurch

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations: The organization accepts donations of any size from the public to support free-to-view artworks and education programmes.
2. Art Sales: The Art Shop sells artwork, prints, and merchandise including totes and other items from featured artists.
3. Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorship from construction companies, creative organizations, and foundations supports specific artworks and seasons.
4. Patron Programme: A dedicated patron programme provides ongoing support with various benefits for supporters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SCAPE Public is a New Zealand-based charitable organization that commissions, produces, and presents contemporary public art in Christchurch and across the country. Its core work consists of annual Season Exhibitions of temporary public art installations across multiple sites, a permanent collection of long-term commissioned sculptures, and supporting programs in education, artist development, retail, and patron/sponsor engagement.

Product overview

SCAPE Public Art is a charity producing inspiring contemporary public art for Ōtautahi Christchurch. The organization operates primarily as a seasonal exhibition producer, presenting annual six-week seasons of temporary public artworks alongside a growing collection of permanent installations (19 permanent artworks as of 2025). The core offering consists of Season Exhibitions featuring works by national and international artists, complemented by the Permanent Artworks collection, an Education Programme for schools, an Art Shop selling limited editions, the Re:ACTIVATE Aspiring Artists youth competition programme, and a Patron Programme for supporters. The organization also offers sponsorship opportunities for corporate partners and hosts public events including guided walks and artist talks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SCAPE Public Art Season: Annual public art season featuring contemporary artworks installed across Christchurch
• Re:ACTIVATE
• Re:ACTIVATE Kids
• Re:ACTIVATE Teen
• Re:ACTIVATE Aspiring Artists
• SCAPE Education
• Patron Programme

Products and services

• Season Exhibitions Annual thematic seasons of temporary contemporary public art installations staged across multiple sites in Christchurch, serving as the organization's flagship annual program for both government commissioners and public audiences.
• Permanent Artworks Long-term commissioned sculptures and installations developed for civic spaces, totaling 19 permanent works produced to date, typically commissioned in partnership with government bodies.
• Education Programme School- and community-based art education initiatives designed to engage students and the wider community with contemporary public art, supporting SCAPE Public's civic engagement mission.
• Art Shop Retail channel selling prints, books, and artist merchandise related to SCAPE Public's exhibitions and artists, providing both a public engagement touchpoint and a product sales revenue stream.
• Re:ACTIVATE Aspiring Artists Youth development program supporting emerging artists with development opportunities, career exposure, and engagement with SCAPE Public's broader public art ecosystem.
• Art Map Published guide to the public art of Christchurch, helping visitors and residents locate and learn about permanent and seasonal works across the city.
• Patron Programme Tiered donor support program offering structured giving levels for individuals who want to financially support SCAPE Public's contemporary public art programs.
• Sponsorship Corporate partnership packages allowing businesses to sponsor SCAPE Public's seasons, exhibitions, or specific artworks for brand visibility and CSR outcomes.
• Events Public-facing programming including artist talks, exhibition openings, and guided tours that complement the seasonal exhibitions and permanent collection.

Quantifiable outcome

• 19 permanent artworks installed across Christchurch City and Selwyn District
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Christchurch City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 October 2017Primary government partner commissioning public art installations. Supports SCAPE seasons and permanent artworks through funding and public art advisory group.
• Creative New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational arts funding body providing support for SCAPE's public art seasons and artistic programmes.
• Fulton HogansupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstruction company supporting public art installations and infrastructure.
• Naylor LovesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstruction company providing support for SCAPE seasons.
• Dominion ConstructorssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstruction company supporting public art projects.
• Leighs ConstructionsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstruction company supporting SCAPE art installations.
• Lewis BradfordsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering consultancy providing support for public art installations.
• Southbase ConstructionsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstruction company supporting SCAPE seasons.
• Kurashiki, JapanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristchurch's sister city in Japan, donated $300,000 for earthquake recovery and contributed street lamp to Solidarity Grid.
• Düsseldorf, GermanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist Mischa Kuball's hometown, gifted street lamp for Solidarity Grid project.
• 21 Cities (Solidarity Grid)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal cities including Adelaide, Belgrade, Boston, Christchurch Dorset, Gansu, Graz, Ieper, Kurashiki, La Rochelle, Mexico City, Montreal, Seattle, Sendai, Singapore, Sofia, Songpa, St. Moritz, Sydney, Sopot, Wuhan - all gifted street lamps for Solidarity Grid.
• Adelaide, AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister city relationship since 1972, donated SmartPole street lamp for Solidarity Grid.
• Seattle, USAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister city since 1981, donated street lamp for Solidarity Grid. Supports faculty exchanges between University of Washington and University of Canterbury.
• Sendai, JapanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonated street lamp for Solidarity Grid. City that experienced the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, providing understanding and compassion for Christchurch's recovery.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Broad incumbents

• Prospect New Orleans: US citywide contemporary art triennial producing temporary public artworks with free public access. Comparable as a city-anchored public art festival with sponsorship and civic partnerships, though operating on a different cadence.
• Biennale of Sydney: Major international public art biennial delivering free outdoor contemporary art across Sydney. Comparable as a public-facing contemporary art festival with sponsorship and government funding, though materially larger in scale and periodicity.
• Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa: New Zealand's national museum with large-scale exhibitions and education programmes. Comparable as a publicly funded arts/cultural nonprofit, though operates at materially larger scale and broader mandate than SCAPE.

Regional players

• Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki: New Zealand's largest art institution, presenting contemporary exhibitions and permanent collections with significant education programmes. Comparable as a major NZ arts nonprofit with government and philanthropic funding, though indoor-gallery focused.
• Govett-Brewster Art Gallery / Len Lye Centre: New Plymouth-based contemporary art museum known for experimental programming and public engagement. Comparable as a regional NZ arts nonprofit delivering contemporary exhibitions, education, and community programming.
• Dunedin Public Art Gallery: Regional NZ public art gallery with permanent collections and contemporary exhibitions. Comparable as a NZ regional arts nonprofit with government and community funding support.

Direct peers

• Wellington Sculpture Trust: New Zealand trust producing outdoor public sculpture trails in Wellington. Operates a near-identical model of permanent public art commissions, education, and walking trails, making it the closest NZ peer to SCAPE.
• Sculpture by the Sea: Australia's largest annual outdoor sculpture exhibition, producing free-to-view public art along coastal walks. Closest functional analogue to SCAPE's free public art season model with comparable sponsorship and patron dynamics.
• Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū: Major public art gallery based in the same city as SCAPE, presenting contemporary exhibitions and permanent collections. Directly comparable as a Christchurch-based nonprofit delivering public-facing contemporary art programming and education.
• Wanaka Arts: New Zealand community arts organization supporting public sculpture trails and exhibitions. Comparable as a small NZ nonprofit delivering public art, education, and community programming with similar sponsor and volunteer models.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scape-public

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 SCAPE Public