Works in Progress (WiPs) 2026
McCahon House
Deadline
17 June 2026
Location
Auckland, NZ
Entry Fee
Free
About
A 5-month mentorship programme for early-career NZ visual artists, pairing six graduates with established Parehuia alumni mentors.
Works in Progress (WiPs) is a 5-month mentorship programme from McCahon House, designed to support early-career visual artists across Aotearoa at a pivotal point in their professional lives. Six artists will be selected through an open call to work with six distinguished Parehuia alumni mentors: Dan Arps, Martin Basher, Ana Iti, Sefton Rani, Tiffany Singh, and Sarah Smuts-Kennedy.
Running August–December 2026, the programme draws on the tradition of the studio visit and the critique to create meaningful, personalised conversations around each artist's practice — whether that's developing a body of work, building professional skills, exploring new directions, or simply gaining confidence and clarity.
Each selected artist receives
- 4 one-to-one mentoring sessions (in-person or online, monthly): focused on practice development, professional strategy, and short- and long-term goals.
- 1 group session (online, Thursday 15 October, tentative): bringing all six artists together with invited sector experts for peer dialogue, and preparation for the final showing.
- 1 final showing and critique (Thursday 3 December, tentative, location TBC): an informal "sharing moment" — not a curated exhibition — where artists can present work and receive group feedback.
The programme is designed for artists who graduated from a New Zealand tertiary provider (university, polytechnic, wānanga, art school, or other formal training) within the last five years and are committed to their practice. Applicants must be NZ citizens or permanent residents and able to fully commit to the 5-month programme.
Applications are assessed by the six mentors, with shortlisted candidates invited to a brief online conversation with the McCahon House team before final selections are made.
Works in Progress is funded by Manchester Trust and Hugo Charitable Trust.
Applications close at 4pm on Wednesday 17 June 2026. Successful applicants will be notified mid-July.
For questions or assistance with your application, contact Tamara Rakich, Operations Manager: tamara@mccahonhouse.org.nz