Artist Harriet Millar is launching a site-specific exhibition featuring a series of paintings dedicated to Christchurch’s local dairies. In a creative turn, Millar has leased the abandoned Cranford St Dairy, which has been closed since 2021, to serve as both the gallery space and her future art studio. The collection includes oil and acrylic works depicting various neighborhood convenience stores, such as the Springfield Discounter and Clyde Road Dairy, captured with bold brushstrokes and geometric focus.
The project highlights the cultural significance of the dairy as a cornerstone of New Zealand social history and immigrant entrepreneurship. By documenting these spaces and exhibiting them within a former shop, Millar explores themes of migration, community memory, and the survival of small family-owned businesses against supermarket dominance. The exhibition serves as a tribute to the everyday urban landscape and the personal stories—from childhood treats to refugee histories—embedded in these local institutions.