Our Story

Jenny Neligan opened Bowen Galleries in September 1981, behind Lois Daish’s Number 9 café on Bowen Street. Debra Bustin’s opening exhibition quickly established us in the role of showing young artists – during our early years, we had lots of works-on-paper shows, especially young printmakers who had studied at Ilam School of Fine Arts, Canterbury University. In 1983, we had the opportunity to represent Robyn Kahukiwa, and exhibit her series Wāhine Toa, which was a big turning point for the gallery.

Bowen Galleries was forced out of Bowen Street in 1988, finding a suitable place on the Terrace, and ran the gallery side-by-side with Christopher Moore and his gallery until the turn of the millennium. In December 2000, both Bowen Galleries and Christopher Moore Gallery moved into a shared space at 35 Ghuznee Street.

In 2003, Jenny’s partner Neil Rowe died. Bowen Galleries owed its inception to Neil – partner, writer, art critic, publisher, bookseller. Many of the ideas for shows, and contacts with artists who have become great friends, came through him.

In 2005, Christopher Moore closed his gallery to work full time on art valuations. Penney Moir then joined as a business partner and together Jenny and Penney engaged the help of Sam Martin, architect, to reconfigure the gallery, taking the gallery into a new phase.

However, we had one last change of premises – in September 2009, we moved next door, to 39 Ghuznee Street, which is where you’ll find us now. Thanks to Workshop E and their recommended builder Shane Harper, Heritage Home Building, for the current space.

In September 2021, Bowen Galleries turned 40. We celebrated the milestone with the exhibition About Time – 40 artists celebrate 40 years, curated by Gregory O’Brien. We had a great party for the opening of this exhibition, attended by many of the artists and customers who have kept the gallery going all these years.

In March 2025, nearly 44 years after it opened, the gallery has entered a new era under the ownership of Helena Walker.

Helena first worked in at Bowen as a summer intern in 2002, while she was completing her undergraduate degree in Art History and English at University of Canterbury. She went on to establish herself in art valuation and auctions, working at Dunbar Sloane Ltd Wellington & Auckland as well as several years at Bonhams, London in the C19th British & European Paintings department. During these two decades, Helena and Jenny developed a close friendship and Helena was a frequent supporter of Bowen and it’s artists.  Post-Covid, Helena sought a new direction and completed her Master of Museum and Heritage Practice at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington. In 2023, she returned to Bowen to work with Jenny as gallery director, eventually purchasing the gallery in April 2024.

Our core role is to meet the professional needs of our artists including effecting sales, commissions, to represent and promote to both private clients and public art institutions and to aid their pathway through the often complex New Zealand and International arts community. We currently have established formal relationships with over 30 artists based both in New Zealand and Australia. Bowen Galleries has developed strong trans-Tasman connections and enjoys relationships with colleagues and artists in Sydney and Melbourne in particular. For 40 years we have been assisting clients to put together collections of significant value, with works by New Zealand and Australian artists.

Ka mua kei muri (walking backwards into the future)