BIRDWOODS ARROWTOWN

Welcome to Birdwoods Gallery Arrowtown

Shop Collections  : Contact : Opening Hours : Jack Stobart

 

Opened in 2020 by Jack Stobart, eldest son of Bruce and Louise, the founders of Birdwoods Gallery.  Set in the heart of Arrowtown, Central Otago, this is a beautiful gallery displaying unique and hand carved stone sculptures, large scale photographic canvases, recycled metalwork, ceramics, jewellery, basketry, rugs, cushions and more .

Jack spends much of his time sculpting from his studio at his home in the Arrow Junction (visitors are welcome by appointment).  He travels to Africa annually to continue learning from the stone masters, the art of sculpting. His recent piece is now showcased in the courtyard in front of his Gallery.

 

'Crescendo' by Jack Stobart

It is a known fact that Jack is fond of chickens!

The Birdwoods Arrowtown Gallery

The Birdwoods Story

Bruce and Louise emigrated to New Zealand from their homeland Zimbabwe, in 2004 with their three young children, Jack, Sophie and Harry.  Birdwoods originated in 1991 when Louise started a business creating metal birds out of recycled oil drums on their commercial cropping and livestock farm in the Mazowe District of Zimbabwe. This developed into a  successful export-based enterprise until 2003 when corrupt politics took a grip and almost everything was lost to a lawless government forcing them to flee.

Upon immigrating to New Zealand in 2004, they quickly set about developing Birdwoods in Havelock North which has now become one of Hawke’s Bay’s most popular visitor destinations attracting over 70,000 visitors each year.   It showcases a beautiful and interesting gallery and gift shop, extensive sculpture gardens, a popular garden restaurant café and event venue, a real fruit ice-cream shop in the summer, and a much-loved old fashioned Sweet Shop.

Every year the Stobarts travel back to Africa  to select stone and metal sculpture along with other exciting treasures they source to display and sell in the two locations, however, with changing buying patterns, environmental footprints to consider the business is evolving into a more circular and sustainable way.