5 Years of owning The Little Gallery

Five years ago today, on March 5th, I drove over the Kopu–Hikuai Road from Hamilton to begin a brand-new chapter as the owner of The Little Gallery — our beautiful coastal art gallery in Tairua and Whangamata, New Zealand.

I remember the day vividly. Halfway over the hill, a tsunami warning sounded on my phone.

My first instinct? Pull over and call my wonderful insurance broker to check whether the Tairua gallery — not far from the water — was covered!

That was Day One.

To add to the drama, the previous owner was stuck in a COVID lockdown in Auckland and couldn’t travel to Tairua for the handover. It was certainly not the gentle beginning I had imagined when purchasing an art gallery in New Zealand — but perhaps it was the perfect introduction to small business ownership.

Five Years of Challenges — And Still So Grateful

Since that first day, we’ve navigated:

• COVID lockdowns (when I wasn’t allowed to leave Hamilton to reach Whangamata or Tairua… although I did sneak over once!)

• A major cyclone

• Long-term road closures

• Another tsunami warning

• Severe storms

• Global uncertainty

• And even artwork currently stuck in transit overseas due to the War in Iran

And yet, five years later, I can honestly say:

I am so glad I bought The Little Gallery.

When I was deciding whether to purchase the business, I asked myself one simple question:

If I were looking back on my life, would I regret not giving this a go?

Absolutely.

So I bought myself a job.

And that decision allowed my husband Craig and I to move to Whangamata and create a life that feels like living the dream.

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What Does “Living the Dream” Really Mean?

Owning a small coastal art gallery in New Zealand isn’t about glamour. It’s about lifestyle, community, and connection.

For me, living the dream looks like this:

• Waking up knowing we can walk on Whangamata Beach whenever we like.

• Swimming at 7:30am every Wednesday all year round — no wetsuits allowed — followed by coffee at Blackies with an incredible group of women. No makeup, no judgement, just laughter.

• Learning to play golf (and becoming completely addicted to chasing a tiny white ball around a course!).

• Living in a humble bach that feels like home but still feels like we’re on holiday.

• Driving to work and seeing “5 minutes to destination” on my watch — and knowing it doesn’t really feel like work at all.

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More Than Just an Art Gallery

The Little Gallery is more than a Whangamata art gallery or Tairua art gallery.

It’s a place where people connect with creativity.

Over the past five years, we’ve met visitors from all over the world — people working in extraordinary fields, families on holiday, couples celebrating milestones, collectors seeking contemporary New Zealand art.

We’ve had visitors who work for NASA, marine pilots, underwater robotic engineers, volunteers from Mercy Ships, and travellers from Las Vegas — all discovering and buying New Zealand art in our little coastal spaces.

One of my absolute favourite moments is witnessing the emotional connection people have with artwork. Art has the power to shift energy, mark a moment in time, and even change how a home feels. There are so many beautiful stories behind pieces that have left our walls.

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Supporting New Zealand Artists

At the heart of The Little Gallery is our commitment to supporting local artists in New Zealand.

We represent and showcase talented contemporary New Zealand artists from around the country, giving collectors and visitors the opportunity to experience high-quality New Zealand art in relaxed, welcoming spaces.

And believe it or not, one of my favourite days each month is paying our artists. It’s a moment to reconnect and celebrate their creativity. Supporting artists to make a living from their work is something I am deeply proud of.

Our volunteers and team are truly the secret sauce of the gallery. Watching them beam with pride when they sell a piece of artwork is incredibly special. And they love selling everyone elses artwork too!

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Giving Back to Our Community

As a small New Zealand business, community matters deeply to us.

Through fundraising events and exhibitions, The Little Gallery has proudly donated:

• $8,000 to Moana House

• $1,500 to the Auckland Rescue Helicopter

• $6,000 to Whangamata Surf Life Saving Club

Not bad for a small coastal art gallery.

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Creativity Beyond the Gallery Walls

Owning The Little Gallery has also given me the confidence to create art-focused travel experiences — from visiting artists’ studios in Sydney (Gillie and Marc) to exploring MONA in Tasmania and the art scene in Melbourne with wonderful women from Whangamata.

Creativity doesn’t stop at the gallery door.

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The Reality of Small Business Ownership

Of course, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing.

Owning an art gallery in New Zealand comes with challenges — economic shifts, tourism changes, global uncertainty. But what I’ve learned is that resilience and positivity matter more than perfect planning.

I used to be a meticulous planner. Now, I operate far more intuitively. When I first purchased both galleries as one business model, local Tairua women told me:

“We’re so glad you bought the galleries — we wanted them to stay open.”

That meant everything.

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Why Art Still Matters

Whether you visit our Whangamata art gallery or our Tairua art gallery just to browse, or you choose to invest in an original artwork, we are grateful for every single person who walks through our doors.

As long as there are humans on this planet, we will need beautiful spaces.
We will need creativity.
We will need places that make us feel something.

Art connects us. It softens the edges of a busy world. It gives us pause.

Here’s to five years of owning The Little Gallery (of course they have both been open a lot longer than that) — and to every gallery owner who continues to champion contemporary artists and create welcoming, inspiring spaces all year round.

With gratitude,

Faye
Proud Owner of The Little Gallery
Whangamata & Tairua, New Zealand