Sarah Hopkinson on Trust, Transparency & Artist-led Thinking

Coastal Signs approaches gallery-making as a collaborative and evolving practice, shaped by a commitment to transparency, dialogue, and artist-led thinking. Reflecting a desire to refine rather than radically reinvent, the gallery prioritising what feels lasting, meaningful, and ultimately more sustainable (and enjoyable) for those involved.

Ahead of Aotearoa Art Fair 2026, we spoke with Sarah Hopkinson about the lessons behind the gallery’s evolution, the importance of artist–gallery relationships, and the balance between structure and experimentation as Coastal Signs settles into a new phase in its Karangahape Road space.

Profile Cover Image: Sarah Hopkinson

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How would you describe the spirit or ethos of Coastal Signs? What kind of artists or ideas tend to draw you in?

What makes Coastal Signs a little bit different from other commercial galleries is that it has a rōpū or artist board that includes all eight of the artists I represent. It’s my belief that artist’s should act as a gallery’s conscience, one way or another, so when I started afresh in 2021 (after 9 years with Hopkinson Mossman) we devised a way to bake more conversation and transparency into to the model. We meet less regularly than we used to when the gallery was new, but it’s still a functional rōpū and I think the artist’s influence is reflected in the programme and the spirit of the project in subtle but very important ways.

Installation View: Milli Jannides, Left – To Hand, 2024, Right – The possibility place, 2024, Coastal Signs

What did running galleries before Coastal Signs teach you, that shaped how you approach the gallery today? Was there a moment when you realised you wanted to work in a new way?

That’s a complex question with a potentially very long answer! In short, I think it helped me to focus on what is important and lasting. I developed the concept for Coastal Signs during the pandemic – it was a timely moment to re-think the gallery model that I’d only recently left, and people were perhaps more open to thinking experimentally at that time. In saying that, Coastal Signs isn’t radically different, I just made some changes behind the scenes to better reflect the way I was already working, and ultimately to make my job more… fun.

Shannon Te Ao, tama, 2024, Coastal Signs

What makes a great relationship between a gallery and an artist?

Trust, mutual respect, good communication.

Is there a tip you always give people who say they “don’t know much about art”?

Visit galleries and look at work as much as you can. Ask gallerists questions. Read art books.

Milli Jannides, Wide meshed nets, 2024, Coastal Signs

What are you presenting at the Fair, and why have you chosen this? 

We are showing new photographs by Shannon Te Ao, paintings by Milli Jannides, a drawing by Emma McIntyre. We also have some cool custom furniture by young local designers. We’ve curated the booth based on vibes.

Milli Jannides, The Prisoner’s Constraint, 2024, Coastal Signs

What’s happening next in the world of Coastal Signs?

We only recently moved into our new space on K Rd, so this is a year of consolidation. We have major solo shows by gallery artists coming up – Luke Willis Thompson is on in the gallery during AAF, followed by (relative) newcomer Tim Webby; and then Shannon Te Ao, Ruth Buchanan, and Ammon Ngakuru all have solo exhibitions in the second half of 2026.