CoCA Christchurch a Centre of Contemporary Art 

"Spreading a love of artistic work through the community”

At CoCA we enjoy a rich and proud history. Formed in 1880 as the Canterbury Society of Arts (CSA), we were the first organisation in Christchurch to exhibit and collect works of art.

Our gallery was based on a simple premise: that the making of art by artists could be supported by regularly exhibiting art in Christchurch; it's what was true in 1880 and remains true for us today.

CoCA 2011 - 2016

February 2011 saw the closure of CoCA gallery following the Canterbury earthquakes. The changes that took place during the gallery's closure between February 2011 - February 2016 helped reinvigorate its purpose in 'stimulating conversations about contemporary life and culture'.

The adoption of 'Toi Moroki' as part of CoCA's name in 2015 and bilingual signage and interpretative text for the re-opening of the gallery in 2016 reflected New Zealand society's common use of Te Reo Māori in all settings of public life.

The CoCA building suffered significant damage in the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. Over four million dollars was spent on strengthening, repairing and refurbishing the gallery during its closure and on 13th February 2016, the gallery re-opened with a fresh and reinvigorated vision.

Call us on  03 366 7261  Visit Website  or click here to email CoCA