The pair and their tamariki travelled around the South Island in a caravan three years ago, in the hope of finding a community that shared their values and where they would eventually start their venture.
Mrs Nicolson said their long-held dream had finally been realised when the gallery officially opened last month.
‘‘It’s been a dream of ours for a long time to have a hub for the community, a place where people could come and hang out . . .so it's an art gallery but it's also a community space,’’ Mrs Nicolson said.
They were motivated to create a space which would bring the community together and have a similar ‘‘kaupapa to a marae.’’
Mr Nicolson hoped The Space would become a hub where people could connect and express their creativity.
‘‘That’s been lost over the years so we are quite passionate about trying to bring people together again,’’ he said.
The Space art gallery is a community focused creative venue that supports local artists.
It also hosts workshops, classes and is an open gathering space.
Each month the gallery will feature a new art exhibition and hold an evening which will involve community participation with musical items and food offerings.
The first art exhibition was held in December, a collaboration with six local artists which included paintings, sculpture and photography.
A Painted Land exhibition held this month featured works by locals Roger Thompson and couple Judith and Rex Mills.
‘‘Our vision is to constantly change the use of the space . . .and what is so exciting is that we can generate beautiful things and it just continues to get better and better,’’ Mrs Nicolson said
