The Centre of Contemporary Art Toi Moroki (CoCA) is a leading art gallery in Ōtautahi Christchurch, governed by the Canterbury Society of Arts Charitable Trust. The gallery has a rich history of supporting the development of arts practitioners and serving the community since it was established more than 140 years ago.

CoCA is committed to cultivating a programme of free contemporary exhibitions and events that deepen community connections

Our Team

Sean Duxfield (Co-Chair)

Sean offers his extensive experience in the development and delivery of ambitious exhibition programmes in museums and public art galleries. He runs a private art consultancy, and is an arts specialist for Webbs.

Sarah Roberts (Co-Chair)

Sarah is the Director of Form – an Ōtautahi institution and retail gallery championing New Zealand artists. She has a background working in HR roles for some of New Zealand’s largest organisations.

 

 

 

Diane Brandish (Treasurer)

A Chartered Accountant, Diane holds a Masters of Applied Finance from Macquarie University, and has held a number of key finance roles in Australasia, including Acting GM Resources and Finance  for Christchurch City Council.

 

 

Lachlan Knighton

Lachlan is Head of Commercial Investment at Pegasus Health, with a background in banking and the commercial sector. He has a track record of serving his local community through both volunteering and governance roles.

Kim Morton

Kim is the founder and strategic director of Ōtautahi Creative Spaces. She is passionate about contemporary art, and deepening the connections between galleries and museums and the communities they serve.

Jamie te Heuheu

Jamie (Ngāti Tūwharetoa) graduated with a BFA (Hons) from the Ilam School of Fine Arts in 2020, and has exhibited throughout Aotearoa. His current series of colour field paintings explore the limits of the formal qualities of abstract artmaking.

Dr Raewyn Martyn

An artist and teacher, Raewyn is a Lecturer of Painting at Ilam School of Fine Arts, University of Canterbury. Her exhibition practice involves gallery and site-based work made in Aotearoa and internationally.

Sarah Aspinwall (Operations Manager)

Sarah successfully ran her own business before moving into arts management. She is responsible for CoCA’s smooth running, including day to day administration, accounts, Board liaison and volunteer management.

Jade Cavalcante (Exhibitions Delivery Manager)

Jade is a multidisciplinary artist, curator and producer. She believes in the power of art to foster belonging and community. Jade liaises with artists and delivers CoCA’s exhibition programme.

Paula Granger (Partnerships Manager)

Paula has an extensive background in communications, stakeholder engagement and creative project management within the arts, culture and heritage sector. She looks after CoCA’s patrons and partnerships.

Melissa Wong (Graphic Designer)

Melissa is an Ōtautahi artist, with a  BFA in Graphic Design from the Ilam School of Fine Arts, University of Canterbury. Graphic design is her practice and in particular, navigating the parallels between design, language and perception.

Virginia Ferguson (Weekend Gallery Supervisor)

Virginia is a Filipino-American artist studying for a BFA Honors in Moving Image at the Ilam School of Fine Arts. Their art practice responds to their cultural heritage and the way it is perceived in Aotearoa.

Folina Vili

Folina is a multi-disciplinary artist/musician of Sāmoan and Pākehā descent. She has a Master of Creative Practice (Distinction) from Ara, and works for Tagata Moana Trust managing Fibre Gallery.

 

Kim Lowe

Kim is an artist and educator specialising in works on paper. She has helped to initiate many community arts projects. Kim is also a senior academic at Ara Art and Design, teaching across all levels of creative programming.

 

Oliver Perkins

Oliver’s painting practice offers new modes of being with and experiencing painted objects. Having studied in Christchurch and London, he teaches into the Bachelor of Design and is a supervisor on the Masters of Creative Practice at Ara.

Virginia Ferguson

Virginia is a Filipino-American artist studying for a BFA Honors in Moving Image at the Ilam School of Fine Arts. Their art practice responds to their cultural heritage and the way it is perceived in Aotearoa.

Yulin Huang

Yulin’s holds a Masters degree in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins and has a passion for community building, Her art practice investigates the possibility of experiencing the sublime through encounters of artificial nature, and how this uncanny feeling contributes to the sense of belonging.

Tahlia King

(Kai Tahu, Ngāti Maniapoto) is a visual artist. Her abstract, textile works and photography explore the shared emotional experience of our daily lives and the social and political narratives that shape our lived experiences.

Louise Palmer

Louise is  a Senior Lecturer in sculpture at the Ilam School of Fine Arts, University of Canterbury. She has a BA in Fine Arts from UC, and a Master of Visual Arts from Sydney College of the Arts. She exhibits, and has curated exhibitions, in Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally.

Meg Doughty

Meg is an art writer and emerging curator with a Masters in Art History.  Her developing curatorial practice is grounded in empathy and applies ecocritical, posthuman, postcolonial, feminist and multisensory lenses.

Sam Manderson

Sam works with heritage collections. He is passionate about community and art and crafts, and values the egalitarian spirit of contemporary art. He dabbles in the scandi-slöjd woodcraft tradition.

Judith Knibb

Jenny Walker

Kay McKinnon

Jacqui Beever

Eleanor Diaz Ritson

Denver Lyxnleg

Herbert Stockman

 

Rata Jamieson

Polly Moffit

Jackey Lu

Mary Moynihan

Trisha Blik

Trinity Skudder

Claudia Du

Rebecca Iles

Susan Richards

Rebecca Low

Saskia Whall

Daisy Poole

Maria Brown

Viktoria Palma

Leah Wang

Chuck Li

Scarlettt Munn

Charmayne O’Connor

Leigh Rodgers

Elisa Gao

Bre Robertson

Support Our Work

CoCA is a charitable trust. While we receive grants from local and central government through contestable funding, we rely on the support of corporate partners, trusts and foundations and generous individuals to ensure CoCA’s longevity. We would welcome your support.

Support Us

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