The Rita Angus Cottage at 194A Sydney Street West in the Wellington suburb of Thorndon was built in 1877.
"[1] In 1984, the cottage was purchased by the Thorndon Trust with the intent of providing accommodation for artists visiting Wellington, either for short periods or to work on particular projects.
[2] In 2006, Massey University’s College of Creative Arts partnered with the Thorndon Trust to launch the inaugural Massey University Rita Angus Visual Arts Residency, enabling both New Zealand and international artists to live at the cottage and develop a body of work.
[4] The residency guidelines required artists to submit proposals for a project they would like to complete while living at the cottage, with a brief to "localise the concepts 'technology' and 'culture' in the context of Aotearoa/New Zealand".
[5] Other past residents include Jenny Dolezell, Nicola Jackson, Yvonne Rust, and Michael Tuffery.