With the pandemic wiping out months when gatherings might have been hosted, they have had to rethink how best to celebrate the milestone in a compressed timeframe.
Art, Design and Architecture College head Federico Freschi said the need to be flexible and overcome challenges this year unleashed a new kind of creativity.
The celebration programme for New Zealand’s oldest art school has been vastly adjusted.
A symposium planned for next month will be much different to the original vision while other events have been postponed.
However, a symposium about art and climate change is scheduled to go ahead as planned on September 26-27.
The end-of-year student exhibition is to go ahead.
Prof Freschi said it was important to celebrate not just the Dunedin School of Art but arts and culture in Dunedin.
Covid-19 had made it harder to celebrate the 150 years but it was still important to mark the occasion, he said.
Head of the school, Bridie Lonie, said tuition this year was radically altered because of the Covid-19 emergency.
The first semester became research-oriented and the second semester would be more practically focused.
"We will really focus on studio time next semester," Dr Lonie said.
Jim Tomlin’s 25 years of leadership at the school will also be celebrated.
He became an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in this year’s Queen’s Birthday honours for services to art education.
The college is set to unveil a new name next semester.
