THEIR PLACE SUZI STEVENS
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Suzi Stevens studied ceramics and jewellery – and ended up making models for for Wētā Workshop. While she considers herself a maker, she’s also happy to be representing other artists through her Nelson business, Red Art Gallery and Cafe. Stevens lives with her husband, Ant, and two daughters, Fenna and Beau, in Stoke, Nelson.
SUZI STEVENS: We were in Titirangi, Auckland, such a beautiful spot in the bush, up in the hills. But we started travelling down to Māpua every year to visit my husband’s parents, and we started thinking Nelson is such a lovely spot.
We began looking at business opportunities. A friend mentioned the gallery, knowing my background with art, and we stopped by on our way to the airport.
When we walked in, it just felt so familiar. Maybe because I’ve worked in old heritage buildings in art and design back in the . Si months later we were the owners of it.
enna was 1 then, and Beau 10, and we were quite desperate to live in town for the girls’ schools. I saw this place in Stoke pop up on Trade Me and said, “that’ll do”.
The house was four years old. One of the previous owners was Scandinavian it had that decor, really light and airy. We’d left an old character house in Auckland that we’d renovated. We knew we didn’t have time to think about renovating because of being busy with the business.
It felt a bit like a hotel. Every drawer worked. We were quite happy.
We love the area and we love the neighbours. We have lots of get-togethers.
The commute to work is 10 minutes, maybe 20 with the school run. At lunch, I can nip home if I need to. This is a nine-minute town, someone said to me.
We always thought we wanted to live by the water. But we’re so rural, looking at sheep and cows. ou can even see deer in the evening, hear stags roaring.
I change everything up for the seasons. Ant comes home and everything’s moved. I do like to embrace that hygge; light my candles at night, and
have a peaceful home because work is busy busy all day.
e like to bring home a piece of art of the people we represent. e haven’t got enough walls. ecause it’s a new build, it’s all windows.
e’ve got so many Nelson artists. e’re spoiled. e inherited a lot of them when we took over the business. I’ve met them all, maybe in total, and we’re good friends now.
ecause I was an artist, I feel like I know what it’s like from their side of things. It’s hard for an artist.
ou want to be promoting them and showing their work the best you can. It’s a real relationship between the artist and the gallery.
I moved to New ealand years ago from iverpool. My aunty lived in Christchurch, so that was always going to be my E.
I met nt there through a friend. I was actually supposed to be on my way home, but I’d been offered a job at the Court Theatre as well, so I thought, you know what, I’m going to stay a bit longer.
e was running a fudge factory at the time, but he already knew that wasn’t his path.
lot of people had said to him, you should try radio. e has a lovely voice. o he went back to study at media school and from that he ended up getting a job at TV in sports.
e went to uckland together, and he ended up presenting, producing, editing. e was producing Seven Sharp and Breakfast for many years. ut he needed a change.
e’re a bit like that, we’re both like you’ve got one life, let’s just do it. social