During the years 1956 - 1977 the Kelliher was New Zealand's premier art award. Although the Kelliher Art Award ceased to exist after 1977, the Kelliher Art Trust has maintained its founder's interest in landscape painting. It has also added more recently painted works to the collection.

The collection contains works from artists including Peter McIntyre, Toss Woollaston, Austen Deans, and Dick Frizzell.