Invernui art gallery owners Lyz and Peter Dozzi are on a mission to draw the community together through promoting art and conversing over a cup of tea.
Opening the art gallery on Esk St in December came from a long-held vision they shared, to use art as a way for them to ‘‘serve the community’’.
Mrs Dozzi said she felt moved to set up the gallery after attending a combined worship service in Wachner Place in 2023 and after organising free barbecues in the city.
‘‘It was a vision that we had to just bless the country . . .we had an experience while singing in Wachner Place — and the next minute we had this experience with the people from the Grand [Hotel] and it just called us to Invercargill,’’ she said.
The former Wa¯naka residents believed they had a dual purpose in their role as gallery owners and that was also to put into practice their lay minister roles.
Inviting people in for a cup of tea while they perused the artwork was their way of getting to know their community and letting visitors know that the gallery was a ‘‘welcoming and safe space’’.
Mr Dozzi said starting up the art gallery had broadened their lives in so many ways.
‘‘We felt like we had more in us to do . . .and surprisingly the art gallery has incorporated the ministry as well,’’ he said.
Locals, international visitors and people the couple had met while running the barbecues on Dee St had visited the space since it was opened.
The couple have used their media room to run Alpha courses and they plan to use another room for art and painting sessions.
Most the artworks on sale were produced by local and South Island artists and include landscapes, portraits, sculptures and clay pottery.
As the art gallery becomes more established in the community they hoped more people would see them as the place to go to for ‘‘wonderful South Island art’’ and warm Southland hospitality.
