The opening of an art gallery in the Rotorua Museum building in the 1970s signalled the beginnings of the current art collection which has grown to more than 2,000 original works.
The collection represents a range of media but is predominantly made up of paintings, works on paper and art photography created mainly by Rotorua artists or by artists who have links to Rotorua.
This strong regional focus in the art collection is also reflected in the large number of works that depict local scenes and people.
The collection includes important holdings by individual artists such as Theo Schoon, Walter Bakkenes, Mark Adams and Dennis K. Turner. There is also one of the largest New Zealand collections of works featuring the Pink and White Terraces.
In addition, Rotorua Museum cares for the Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust Heritage Collection which features many works significant to Rotorua.