By Bobbi Laing, Maan Alkaisi, and Deborah Williams, World BEYOND War, February 25, 2026

Report on the ‘Culture of Peace’ Art Exhibition 20th-25th January 2026 held at the Pümanawa Art Gallery – the community exhibition space at the Christchurch Art Centre, Te Matatiki Toi Ora.

The aims of this exhibition were to promote a ‘Culture of Peace’ and to engage in promoting discussions around the importance of living in peace and harmony. 
We acknowledge the funding support received from the Quaker Peace and Service Aotearoa New Zealand (QPSANZ) organisation. This allowed us to secure the exhibition space and to cover for the expenses to run the exhibition successfully.

The organisation of the Culture of Peace Art Exhibition was led by Emeritus Professor Maan Alkaisi with support from Deborah Williams, and Bobbi Laing (the three trustees for the Te Waipounamu chapter) as well as David Minifie and Richard Milne. Liz Remmerswaal (the WBW international vice president) was also involved in supporting our effort and especially in the opening function.

This exhibition was organised to make it the official launch of our WBW chapter in the South Island of New Zealand, ‘Te Waipounamu’ – our indigenous Māori name for the South Island. There were over 50 invited guests to the opening function – these included local MPs, local Council members, peace activists, the artists and people who championed and supported us in mounting this exhibition. Artists were able to discuss their work and explain with those attending the peace messages they send through their artwork.

A call for local artists to participate in the exhibition were made and was advertised widely through the New Zealand art community and artists were invited to participate in artwork that is within the theme of promoting a culture of peace. Artwork was offered for sale with a 25% commission to cover the cost of the exhibition. From the thirty artists who submitted work, twenty-two artists’ exhibits were chosen, this is mainly based on their fit to the Culture of Peace theme.

In addition, some pertinent photos on the effects of war in Hiroshima, Vietnam, Iraq and Gaza were also added for the public as a contrast to peace and harmony. The exhibition layout was designed to highlight three main messages, peace and beauty, humanity and harmony and no more wars. Two World BEYOND War posters were on display on an easel at the entrance of the venue. Provision were made for visitors to write their own peace messages on an A1 size board that was available throughout the six days opening of the exhibition.

The exhibition was held over six days with an approximate number of visitors between 80 to 100 per day. The visitors were predominately from overseas, but we had good number of locals attended the exhibition. Several fruitful discussions were held with them, and a few thanked us for putting this exhibition on, as it gave them hope. Some expressed great concern about what was happening in the northern hemisphere. A number of visitors were very willing to sign the sheets for the Declaration for Peace and go on the WBW mailing list.

At the end of the week seven exhibits had been sold which amount to 35% of the total artwork made by contributing artists. As we received 25% commission for each sale, the exhibition was cost effective and successful financially in addition to the main aim of promoting a culture of peace. There was also a merchandise table which offered for sale badges, mugs, and T-shirts with the WBW logo and relevant books. We also had ‘give away’ bookmarks with the different myths about war printed on them and our QR code to our WBW website.

A slide show with all the exhibition artworks has been prepared to allow the exhibition peace messages to be available for longer than a week and to promote the artist’s work. Consent from every artist was obtained in writing to satisfy copy right permissions.

From a personal point of view – I feel very proud to have been part of this exhibition – it was for me so worthwhile because it touched the hearts of visitors who supported the concept for a culture of peace rather than war. They found it meaningful and relevant.

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