DPAG Curatorial Intern 2026

We are delighted to announce that the Dunedin Public Art Gallery Ihupukutaka Kairauhī Curatorial Intern for 2026 is Sarah McGaughran. Sarah is an Ōtepoti-based curator, writer, and artist, whose practice is rooted in building community connections and platforming contemporary art that reflects the unique culture of this city.

Sarah holds a Bachelor of Visual Arts with First Class Honours from the Dunedin School of Art, a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Otago, and a Certificate in Māori and Indigenous Art from Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. Her curatorial approach is research-led, academically rigorous, and artistically intuitive.

In July 2024, Sarah founded Slant Art Project Space, an artist-run initiative dedicated to platforming Ōtepoti artists, and delivered an ambitious 18-month programme as its director. In this role, she oversaw logistics and facilitation, led community engagement, and worked closely with artists to realise exhibitions.

Sarah also brings a strong record of academic and critical writing. Her work includes published contributions to Scope: Contemporary Research Topics: Art & Design 26, research assistance for an upcoming Bloomsbury Publishing volume on Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, co-edited by Hilary Radner and Rebecca Stringer, and authoring exhibition texts for Slant Art Project Space and local galleries.

The transition from an artist-run initiative to an institutional context marks an exciting next step in her career. She looks forward to contributing her organisational and communication skills within a larger-scale environment, while engaging more deeply with the Gallery’s archives and research resources. Sarah will be involved in all aspects of curatorial work at the DPAG and we are all looking forward to working with her.

The Dunedin Public Art Gallery Curatorial Internship is supported by Creative New Zealand Toi Aotearoa.

Noho ora mai
Tim Pollock
Exhibitions and Collection Manager
Dunedin Public Art Gallery