Sunday 1st – Monday 30th November 2026 | Artist’s talk: 4.30pm, Saturday 21 November
Dunedin artist Janet de Wagt returns to Central Otago with Songs of the Land, a selling exhibition of painted guitars, ukuleles and artworks. The new work shines a light on the skinks and geckos that call Central home, along with other creatures and places close to her heart.
Janet paints en plein air, working outdoors in all weathers and responding directly to what is in front of her. For this series she has swapped her signature easel ironing board for a cushion on the rocks. Painting among the schist, she watches the life of the land and listens to the sounds that rise from it.
Art that lights up
Inside each instrument, a light source illuminates the painted scene. On the surface the works are quirky and fun. Look more closely and you’ll find a deeper message about the environmental issues Janet cares about.
What you’ll see
- Skinks and geckos, the stars of this exhibition, painted in the landscapes they inhabit
- Native species under threat, such as the kakapo, pekapeka (bat) and kanakana (lamprey), along with the effect of introduced species like the rabbit
- Humpback whales, the giants of the deep hunted to near extinction
- Favourite places around Alexandra, a region Janet has been visiting for many years
- Fishy Fakes, a series in which old masters’ prints are reworked into a modern New Zealand context and given new layers of meaning
“I paint the land, the fauna and flora, the sea and the sky where others before me have settled, lived their lives and left their stories.”
— Janet de Wagt
Take a song home
Everything in Songs of the Land is for sale, from the painted guitars and ukuleles to the artworks and the Fishy Fakes series. Each work is priced, so you can browse and choose at your own pace.
Meet the artist
Janet de Wagt has worked full-time as an artist for 40 years, balancing a painting career with a busy community role as an art project facilitator. She has exhibited widely in group and solo shows and is well known for her popular workshop programmes. Based in Dunedin, she has a special focus on the isolated areas of Canterbury, Otago and Southland.
Join Janet for an artist’s talk at 4.30pm on Saturday 21 November to hear how the series came together.
Visit
Where: Central Stories Museum and Art Gallery, 21 Centennial Avenue, Alexandra
When: 1–30 November 2026
Open: Every day, 10am – 4pm
Artist’s talk: 4.30pm, Saturday 21 November
Enquiries: 03 448 6230 · manager@centralstories.com
