Six-month Kiwi Art Trail finishes today with in-person auction
• April 9, 2025
Sculptures like this Buzzy Kiwi by Weston Frizzell are on the market today in a bid to help Kiwi conservation efforts. Photo: Supplied, Napier City Council
The Kiwi Art Trail, a nationwide arts fundraiser, ends in Auckland today with an online and in-person auction of the artworks.
The art trail, a Save the Kiwi initiative which has run since October, is a collection of 26 kiwi sculptures that have been turned into custom pieces by New Zealand artists.
Eight sculptures from the Kiwi Art Trail were sold in a pre-auction for $10,000 each. Another eight sculptures are being sold in an online auction through GalaBid and the remaining nine at an in-person auction today.
“Eight of the sculptures being sold so quickly sets the precedent for the auctions remaining,” says Erin Reilly, a Save the Kiwi representative.
“Starting the bidding early on the online auction gave people the opportunity to get excited before the in-person auction.”
The artists will be paid a proportion of the sale with the rest going to Kiwi conservation initiatives around the country.
The first Kiwi Art Trail by Save the Kiwi and sponsor Gallagher Insurance was in 2023.
After positive feedback, Gallagher Insurance suggested doing the fundraiser a second time, including other regions in the North Island.
Local artists in the regions were invited to create pieces for the trail that would be on display in their region. Sales of those go to local conservation projects.
“It was important for us to keep some of the local contribution in the regions,” says Reilly.
“It was really awesome to be able to take the kiwi sculptures to more than just Auckland.”
Local artist Emma Bass’s Kiwi sculpture has been sold already, with the buyer saying she “saw it and fell in love with it immediately and would love to have it in their garden on display".
Funds from the auction today will be donated to Save the Kiwi to aid kiwi conservation efforts.
