Our founding father, Bishop Andrew Burn Suter was a man of tremendous energy and vision. He arrived in Nelson on September 26th 1867 and devoted himself to the needs of his large diocese and the community as a whole.  He was an avid art collector and enthusiastic artist.  His strong interest in art lead him to develop relationships with prominent artists at the time, among them painter John Gully.  On August 13th 1889, the Bishop founded the Bishopdale Sketching Club.  With fourteen members that met once a month to discuss and share drawings, the club became a base for the arts in the community.

In 1890 Bishop Suter’s health began deteriorating considerably, and his death in March 1895 was a shock to the whole Nelson community.  His passing became the perfect reason to establish a memorial.  In 1899 the Suter Art Gallery opened its doors.  Two years later, in 1901, an agreement between the Suter Gallery Trustees and the Sketching Club was signed and a close association began.  On May 21st 1901 in honor of its founder, the Sketching Club changed its name to Nelson Suter Art Society.  It was a time of great activity as relationships and exchanges with societies around New Zealand began to flourish.

Exhibitions until then had been displayed in the Suter Art Gallery, but as the Society grew, it was decided that it needed its own space within the gallery.  In October 1973 an extension to the Suter Art Gallery was completed, and the McKee Room became the new home of the Society.  The gallery underwent alterations in 1978 and in October 2016 the Suter Gallery was completely redeveloped and a new McKee Gallery for the Art Society was incorporated into the design.

Since the creation of the McKee Gallery and to maintain a close cooperation between the Suter Board and the NSAS, the NSAS president and the Suter Gallery Director act as reciprocal ex officio members of the Society and Trust Board.

Since its early years the Society has held two major exhibitions throughout the year, the Autumn and Spring Exhibitions.  These showcase a selection of the best work of its members.  It has become a tradition that during these exhibitions an established artist is invited to exhibit and share their experiences in a floor talk.  The NSAS has had the pleasure of hosting many great artists such as Mirek Smisek, Vivien Lynn, Elva Bett, Bill Sutton, Philip Clairmont, Ian Firth and many others.

Throughout the years many great artists have also been a part of the Society; Mina Arndt, Enga Washbourn, Toss Woollaston, Cedric Savage, Jane Evans, Elsa Kidson, Brian Strong and Sally Burton to name a few.  Since its inception the Nelson Suter Art Society has been a great influence in the region’s growth and recognition as an arts centre in New Zealand, and it will continue to support Nelson’s artistic community.

The Nelson Suter Art Society Logos