Building Legacies – Women Collectors, Galleries and the Stewardship of Art
This panel explores how women collectors are shaping the cultural legacy of Aotearoa New Zealand through strategic, long-term approaches to art acquisition and how top-tier galleries and museum curators play a critical role in enabling those legacies. Moderated by leading advisor Catherine Asquith, this discussion will explore: what does an enduring art collection look like? Hear from Senior Curator of Global Contemporary Art Natasha Conland, Gallerist Sarah Hopkinson and leading arts patron and philanthropist Lady Dayle Mace on how women collectors think differently about legacy, and its place within the art market? What responsibilities or guidance do galleries and curators assume when working with such collectors, to offer stewardship, provenance, career support for artists and institutional pathways?
The discussion will demystify the gallery-curator-collector relationship, highlight women-led collecting strategies and provide practical take-aways for new and emerging collectors who aspire to build meaning and value over time.
Catherine Asquith | Moderator
Dayle Mayce | Speaker
Sarah Hopkinson | Speaker
Natasha Conland | Speaker
Catherine Asquith is a consummate arts professional with over 28 years of experience in the Australian and international art markets. As founder of Melbourne-based Catherine Asquith Art Advisory, she specialises in collection management, private sales, and valuations, working closely with collectors to contextualise acquisitions through provenance, market position, and cultural significance. Her academic research sits at the intersection of art market studies, collecting practices, and gender — with a focus on the visibility of women within the art market. A sought-after speaker and commentator, Catherine has presented at art fairs and symposia on topics including collection strategy, market trends, and legacy planning.
Lady Dayle Mayce is a leading arts patron and philanthropist in Aotearoa New Zealand. She is Chair of the Edmiston Trust, which supports the acquisition of significant artworks for Auckland and is widely recognized for her long-term commitment to building cultural legacy through collecting and philanthropy. Dayle was a founding member of the Auckland Art Gallery Foundation and served 16 years while also chairing the Art Gallery Patrons group. She also had a 2 term tenure on the Te Papa Tongarewa Board setting up their Foundation and chairing the board until 2014.
Sarah Hopkinson has a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Bachelor of Art (Art History) from the University of Auckland (2005). Since graduating, Sarah has gained extensive experience working in the field of contemporary art, initially in academic institutions, as a curator of artist-run spaces, and more recently in leadership roles in commercial galleries. She was a founding member of Gambia Castle (2007-2029), co-Director of Hopkinson Mossman (2010-2019) and is the founding director of the gallery Coastal Signs (2021-).
Natasha Conland has over nineteen years’ experience developing exhibitions of contemporary art. She writes for a number of contemporary arts journals and catalogues in the Asia Pacific region and co-edits Reading Room, a peer-reviewed journal of contemporary art published annually by the E.H. McCormick Research Library, Auckland Art Gallery. She has diverse interests which have focused over this period on art in public space and the dissemination of the historic avant-garde.
Let’s Talk Art presented by Aon, brings together 30 artists, curators, designers, and collectors for 10 compelling talks over three days.
Entry to Let’s Talk Art is on a first come, first serve basis. There is no RSVP.
A valid ticket to the Aotearoa Art Fair 2026 is required for entry to this talk. Buy tickets online.