Shane Foley

Originally from Auckland, Shane Foley began her journey in the visual arts during the early 1970s, when she participated in a National Bank Art Workshop under the guidance of esteemed New Zealand artists Colin McCahon, John Drawbridge, and Kate Coolihan.

 

Foley went on to formally study painting at the Elam School of Fine Arts at the University of Auckland, where she was taught and influenced by notable artists including Robert Ellis, Don Binney, and Garth Tapper. She completed her fine arts degree in 1977. Following this, she undertook teacher training at Auckland Teachers College, combining her artistic expertise with a strong foundation in education. Over the next two decades, Foley pursued a career in teaching and arts education, further enhancing her professional qualifications with a Master of Education in Educational Administration from Deakin University in Victoria, Australia, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Evaluation from Massey University.

 

Since graduating from Elam, Foley has maintained an active artistic practice, participating in solo and group exhibitions, dealer gallery shows, and community-based art events. Her work is rooted in a deep engagement with the New Zealand landscape, particularly the coastal regions of the West Coast and Northland. Themes of memory, identity, and place are central to her painting, which often explores the emotional and autobiographical resonance of the natural environment. Her recent series that works with predominantly oil on canvas, capture moody, expressive impressions of sea, sky, and land.

 

Now based in Auckland, Foley continues to balance her work in evaluation with her creative practice. She has been selected as a finalist in the prestigious James Wallace Art Awards and regularly takes part in community art initiatives such as the annual Artists in Eden event in Mt Eden.