Our beloved Karekare community has been badly affected by cyclone Gabrielle.

Sadly we have had to put the residency programme on hold, due to access issues; the roads in and out of Karekare have suffered multiple slips. The house has a small slip and we are awaiting geo tech reports to assess its yellow sticker status.
We are very appreciative that the artists for this years residencies have been so understanding. Thank you Jack Hadley and Meg Porteous, Julian Hooper, Selina Ershadi and Frances Libeau, and Tru Paraha.

Karekare House Charitable Trust has been set up to support the arts in New Zealand. The purpose of the Trust is to enhance the arts in general and to add to the cultural life of all New Zealanders.

The residency program that the Trust has started is at Karekare House which is an old historic homestead situated in Karekare, a small community on the West Coast of Auckland. The house and the surrounding valley has a rich history and a strong link to the arts. Many past and present residents have been, or are, painters, writers, sculptors, and musicians.

About Karekare House

Nestled in a tranquil West Coast valley, 2mins flat walk from the beach; Karekare House (at one point in history nicknamed ‘The Barracks’) sits on over an acre of land, and originates back to the late 19th Century.
With such a rich 100 year plus history – at one point owned by the Murdochs; then run as a guest house by the Farleys; then more recently featured in the film ‘The Piano’; and over the last 40 years lovingly restored by the children’s author Dorothy Butler – Karekare House has since been repurposed, transformed into a remote creative artists residency.
We intend to continue the life and spirit of Karekare House in one of the most beautiful areas of New Zealand. Karekare House will remain an actively creative space, and very much part of the local community.


Karekare House

The residence is intended to be flexible toward being either a single or collaborative artist residency. If there is only one resident, partners & children are welcome to join for parts of / the entirety of the stay.
+ 2 x Bedrooms
+ 2 x Bathrooms
+ Secondary room; could be used as an office or a single bedroom
+ Open plan kitchen / dining / living area
+ Large studio / study within the house
+ Large multipurpose central room
+ Large external garage / workshop
+ Dedicated laundry & plenty of storage
+ Heat pumps & HRV
+ 3-4 parking spaces, more available if grass is dry

Photo credits Ted Scott

In partnership with The Eden Arts Trust we would like to thank all our artists in residence for 2022; Kalisolaite 'Uhila, Judy Darragh, Claudia Kogachi, Josephine Jelicich, Alexis Neal, Tira Walsh and Brendon Leung.

An outdoor event at Karekare House

Living in Karekare

We want the house to continue to be part of the community: locals are encouraged to use the house & grounds for arts activities & events (like poetry, arthouse film nights, book club), and other community events.
We welcome locals who are interested to openly include our artists in residence with existing community events. Locals can also apply to use the residence’s workshop / garage when it’s not being used – especially for collaborating with other local creatives during the summer.
Many creatives have found the remoteness of Karekare to be inspiring, but to new residents it can feel a bit isolating. However, there is another independent artist / manager on-site, Michele Johnson, and we can also offer links with the local community.

Nearest supermarket: 29min drive; Nearest dairy / corner store: 13min drive.

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