Art trails and apps       Publications and research

Art trails and apps

Art trails

Discover public artworks around Tāmaki Makaurau by following one of our public art trails and learn more about public art with your smartphone.

The Whau Public Art Trail was created for the Auckland Heritage Festival 2020. It includes nine artworks in New Lynn, with a map to download and a Q&A to complete as you walk the trail.

This Heritage Public Art Trail was created for the Auckland Heritage Festival 2018. It includes eight artworks in central Auckland, with a map to download and a Q&A to complete as you walk the trail.

Take in the views of Waitematā Harbour and follow the Waterfront Public Art Trail which features nine artworks situated along the city’s waterfront.

AKL Paths

The awarding-winning AKL Paths invites you to explore Auckland’s coastline, marvel at a waterfall, hike a trail, walk the dog or follow a walkway or track to a lookout. Many of the paths feature public artworks along the way.

If you're looking for something fun to do with friends and whānau, then check out the Karangahape Road to Queens Wharf Art Path inner-city art trail. You'll discover Tāmaki Makaurau’s heritage stories, as reflected in some of our city's public artworks.

Oneroa Art Path leads you past the highest concentration of public artworks on Waiheke Island. It is an easy loop taking in an open park, a suburban back road with baches, and the main street of Oneroa.

Te Paparahi Toi Māori – Walks in the City

Wander Auckland’s city streets, squares and laneways and discover New Zealand’s finest Māori artworks and fascinating stories about our unique Māori identity. Te Paparahi Toi Māori – Walks in the City features eight separate walks highlighting Māori art in the heart of the city. 

Useful links

Aotea Centre Artworks, a collection of works cared for by Auckland Live.

The Cultural Heritage Inventory (CHI) contains information about more than 16,000 different types of cultural heritage sites across the Auckland region.

Didsbury Art Trail at Hobsonville Point. 

Domain Sculpture Walk, supported by the Edmiston Trust.

Public Art Heritage, a public art research partnership between Toi Rauwhārangi Massey University College of Creative Arts and Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage.

Sculpture in the Gardens at Auckland Botanic Gardens in Manurewa. 

Publications and research 

Auckland Council Public Art Policy

Our policy sets out why and how council is involved in public art, what we want to achieve in supporting and investing in public art, the principles that guide our actions, the various roles the council plays and the context for decision-making for public art.
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Murals Toolkit

Our step-by-step guide takes you through the process of creating a mural in a public place.
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Towards a Creative Identity in Aotearoa

Auckland Council commissioned Morris Hargreaves McIntyre to examine the creative identity of Aotearoa New Zealand and how it might manifest in Auckland, through art in our public spaces. Interviews were held with twenty artists, architects, musicians, critics, curators and commentators. The themes identified in those interviews are presented here as a collective voice to express aspects of our nation's creative identity.
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