Best Art Schools in Rotorua: Carving, Weaving, Painting and Pottery Classes

The best art schools in Rotorua run from the national carving and weaving schools in the Whakarewarewa valley to small studios where children and adults learn to draw, paint and throw pots. Art classes in Rotorua come as eight week terms, single workshops and multi year qualifications, so there is a way in whether you want an hour a week or full time training in toi Māori. Te Puia and Toodamnlippy Creative sit at either end of that range.

1Te Puia | New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute

Te Puia, in the Whakarewarewa geothermal valley, is home to the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute and its national schools of wood carving, stone and bone carving, and weaving. The Institute was established under the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute Act 1963 and was vested in iwi ownership in 2020 through the Te Puia NZMACI Limited Partnership. It suits people seeking full time, tikanga based training in toi Māori, and visitors who want to watch tauira and master carvers at work.

Services

• Te Wānanga Whakairo Rākau, the National Wood Carving School, a three year tohu for male applicants aged 18 and over of Māori descent
• Te Rito o Rotowhio, the National Weaving School, a two year tohu open to men and women aged 18 and over
• Te Takapū o Rotowhio, the National Stone and Bone Carving School
• Guided experiences that pass through the working schools
• Āhua Gallery, where work by tauira, pouako and tumu is shown and sold

Highlights

• Confers its own tohu in Māori arts, crafts and culture under the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute Act 1963
• The wood carving school has sat in Te Whakarewarewa Valley since 16 January 1967, and takes a maximum of five tauira each year
• Weaving tuition traces back to Te Whare Raranga, opened in 1969 under the Institute’s first weaving tutor, Emily Schuster (QSM, OBE)
• The Te Rito building was completed in 1994 and is named for the baby shoot at the heart of the flax bush
• Iwi owned through the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute Vesting Act 2020

Location & Contact

Name: Te Puia | New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute
Address: Hemo Road, Tihiotonga, Rotorua
Phone: 07 348 9047
Website: tepuia.com

2Toodamnlippy Creative

Toodamnlippy Creative is the studio practice of Rotorua artist Ria Hermans, who runs the Art Lab programme of term time art classes from Studio 2 at The Arts Village on Hinemaru Street. Classes are grouped by age from five year olds through to adults, with a new set project each term and materials included. It suits parents looking for structured after school art tuition, and adults who want a weekly creative session without signing up for a whole term.

Services

• Little Dali’ngs, 45 minute after school art sessions for 5 to 7 year olds
• Junior Davincis and Rembrandt Youths, project based term classes for 8 to 13 year olds
• Kahlo Me Inspired, an extension class for ages 13 and over, entered by invitation or interview
• Get Up and (Van) Gogh, casual hour long creative sessions for adults
• Custom commissions and large scale mural work

Highlights

• Tutor Ria Hermans completed an Advanced Diploma in Art and Design at the Waiariki Institute of Technology in 2015
• Base materials are provided in the term classes
• Adult sessions are attended casually, with no term long commitment and no skill level required
• Students take part in regular exhibition opportunities, and her own practice spans screen printing, murals, musical theatre set design and book illustration

Location & Contact

Name: Toodamnlippy Creative
Address: Studio 2, The Arts Village, 1240 Hinemaru Street, Rotorua
Website: toodamnlippy.co.nz

3Janet Keen Painting and Mosaic School

Janet Keen teaches painting, drawing and mosaic making from her studio and native tree garden on Clayton Road, with after school classes running Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. Groups are capped at nine students and work through acrylic and mixed media projects, with a second block of classes each afternoon for older students. It suits children from about age seven upwards, and teenagers and adults who would rather learn in a small group than a classroom.

Services

• After school painting and drawing classes for ages seven and upwards
• Mosaic making classes and mixed media workshops
• Mixed media art as therapy sessions with meditation and relaxation
• One on one photography tuition for beginners

Highlights

• Class sizes capped at nine students
• Two class times each afternoon, from 3.30pm and from 4.35pm
• Studio set in an organic cottage and native tree garden
• Studio and garden visits can be arranged before you enrol

Location & Contact

Name: Janet Keen Painting and Mosaic School
Address: 374 Clayton Road, Rotorua
Phone: 07 346 3435
Website: janetkeen.blogspot.com

4Rotorua Potters Group

Rotorua Potters Group is a community led pottery club working out of Studio 3 at The Arts Village, with a shared studio and three kilns. It runs classes, workshops and masterclasses with visiting and local artists through the year, alongside open studio hours and an annual exhibition for members. It suits complete beginners looking for a first pottery course, and experienced potters who want studio access and other potters to work beside.

Services

• Beginner friendly pottery classes
• Six week pottery courses for people new to clay
• Workshops and masterclasses with visiting and local artists
• A club mentorship programme for newer potters
• Studio bookings and open studio hours for club members

Highlights

• Shared studio equipped with three kilns
• Open studio sessions four days a week for club members
• Annual pottery exhibition and community projects
• Membership asks for a six week course, 18 hours of workshops or the mentorship programme as a starting point
• Guided by stated values of whanaungatanga, whai wāhitanga, oranga, akoako, whakaute and toitūtanga

Location & Contact

Name: Rotorua Potters Group
Address: Studio 3, The Arts Village, 1240 Hinemaru Street, Rotorua 3010
Website: rotoruapottersgroup.co.nz

5The Arts Village

The Arts Village is a community arts centre on Hinemaru Street, created by joining three historic Rotorua dwellings into a single complex of galleries, studios and offices. Run by the Rotorua Arts Village Trust as a registered charity, it hosts a rolling workshop programme, youth art classes, school holiday courses and a number of resident arts groups. It suits people who want to try one workshop rather than commit to a term, and families looking for a holiday programme.

Services

• One off creative workshops, recently covering sashiko hand stitching and mosaic making
• Holiday Arts Academy, a two week school holiday programme for ages 8 to 12
• Term time youth art classes held in its studios
• Ukulele classes for adults
• Studios, galleries and spaces to hire, with exhibition opportunities for artists

Highlights

• Opened on 16 November 2002, after three historic dwellings were joined into one complex
• Lewis House, the oldest of the three buildings, dates from 1885
• The ambulatory gallery floor is a mosaic of 350,000 glass tiles designed by local muralist Marc Spijkerbosch
• Wāhi Pōhewa imagination studio opens the Cottage Gallery to artists free of charge on weekdays and Saturday mornings
• Registered charity CC 24 704, operating as the Rotorua Arts Village Trust

Location & Contact

Name: The Arts Village
Address: 1240 Hinemaru Street, Rotorua 3010
Phone: 07 348 9008
Website: artsvillage.org.nz

Art Schools in Rotorua at a Glance

How to Choose the Right Art School in Rotorua

• Match the medium to what you actually want to make. Painting and drawing, mosaic, ceramics and toi Māori such as whakairo and raranga are taught in different places by different people.
• Check the age band before you enquire. Some programmes are built for 5 to 13 year olds, others take adults only, and the carving and weaving schools set a minimum age of 18.
• Ask whether materials are included in the fee. Clay, glaze, firing and acrylic paint add up quickly, and providers differ on what you bring.
• Look at the level of commitment. An eight week term, a six week course, a single Saturday workshop and a multi year tohu are very different undertakings.
• Check class size and studio access, especially for ceramics, where kiln time and open studio hours often matter more than contact hours.

Frequently Asked Questions About Rotorua Art Schools

What kinds of art classes are taught in Rotorua?

The range covers drawing and painting, mixed media, mosaic making, printmaking and ceramics, alongside traditional Māori art forms including whakairo rākau (wood carving), stone and bone carving and raranga (weaving). Some providers teach a single medium well, others run a rotating workshop programme that changes through the year.

How much do art classes in Rotorua cost?

Most providers publish their prices. An eight week after school term for a child generally sits in the low hundreds of dollars with materials included, while a single adult session or one off workshop costs considerably less. Full time carving and weaving training is a different arrangement again, since it is a multi year programme rather than a course fee.

Do I need experience to start?

Not for most classes. Beginner sessions for children and adults are the norm, and tutors set projects that work at a range of skill levels. Pottery clubs are the exception worth checking: studio membership often assumes you can already work safely and independently with clay, so a short course or a run of workshops usually comes first.

Are there art classes in Rotorua for adults, or mainly for children?

Both. After school programmes for primary and intermediate aged students are well covered, and there are adult options ranging from casual weekly creative sessions to pottery courses and one off craft workshops. A few programmes, such as the national carving and weaving schools, are open only to applicants aged 18 and over.

Can you train formally in Māori arts in Rotorua?

Yes. The New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute at Te Puia runs national schools in wood carving, stone and bone carving and weaving, and has the power to confer its own tohu (qualifications) in Māori arts, crafts and culture. That power comes from its founding legislation, which you can read on the New Zealand Government’s legislation website. Intakes are small and applications are called once a year.

Are art qualifications from Rotorua nationally recognised?

It depends what you enrol in. Community art classes and workshops are not assessed qualifications, and are not meant to be. The tohu awarded by the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute sit under its own Act rather than on the national framework. If you need a qualification that appears on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework, check the provider and the programme with NZQA before you enrol.

How do I find an art school near my part of Rotorua?

Much of the teaching is clustered in two places. The Hinemaru Street end of the city centre holds the arts centre and the studios inside it, which is an easy walk or short drive from Glenholme, Fenton Park and the lakefront. Clayton Road sits to the south east and suits families coming from Lynmore and Springfield, while the carving and weaving schools are on Hemo Road at Tihiotonga, on the way out of town towards Taupō.

Do art classes in Rotorua provide materials?

Term classes for children usually include everything, and many one off workshops quote a price with materials covered. Ceramics is the one to ask about specifically, because clay, glazes and firing are charged in different ways depending on whether you are taking a course or working as a studio member. Old clothes are a sensible precaution either way.