Opening next week at Feilding Art Centre!
On July 21, Auckland-based artist Sam Hickson unveils Mechanical Art: an exhibition of new works inspired by the machinery many of us take for granted.
Mechanical Art explores the idea that mechanical objects are integral fixtures in our lives, but that we don’t often realise our dependence on them until they break down. Using his background as a portrait artist, Sam lends a sense of humanity and dynamism to his inanimate subjects, encouraging us to consider the relationship between human and machine.
Sam Hickson is an oil painter from Auckland with a diploma in fine arts from Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design. He works as a volunteer at Upstairs Gallery in Lopdell Precinct arts centre, Titirangi where his paintings have also been exhibited in group and solo shows.
In lieu of a formal opening event, Sam will be holding a ‘meet and greet’ at Feilding Art Centre on Thursday July 21 between 10am and 4pm. Come down and meet the artist behind these fantastic works before he heads back to Auckland!
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
🧩😏 Riddle me this, Neighbours…
I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?
Do you think you know the answer?
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Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
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