Talented team thrives amid challenges

This year started out well and we were hopeful for a ‘normal’ year after our years of Covid-19. Cyclone Gabrielle very quickly put paid to those ideas, reeking devastation and chaos across the region. Like everyone, the day after the cyclone, we were in a state of shock and confusion. Being part of Napier City Council many of our staff were able to join in the initial response undertaking tasks such as, preparing and serving meals, doing deliveries, welfare checks, etc. Other staff utilised their specialised skills helping with issues such as providing archival boxes for koiwi unearthed during the cyclone, providing advice on immediate treatment for taonga and helping individuals understand how to preserve textiles and other items they had rescued or recovered from the water and silt.

Although lawlessness was exhibited by some, the vast majority of the community were helping out in any way they could, and it was wonderful to see such great community spirit on display. Following the immediate aftermath, we were approached by EIT to see if we could help with a temporary home for some of their students and were pleased to find a space for them.

Despite the incredibly difficult start to the year the talented team at MTG Hawke’s Bay Tai Ahuriri still managed to complete eight exhibitions and displays. A highlight for many was Refuge in Fashion: Minh Ta, which displayed our wonderful collection of Minh Ta costumes – many of which were award winners. At the opening a number of people dressed in their own Minh Ta outfits, which was a lovely sight and a tribute to a truly talented person. Another local legend was celebrated in Making A Mark: the work of Fane Flaws. Many around Te Matau-a-Māui knew of Fane Flaws’ artworks – however Making A Mark focused on his incredible outputs as a director, musician and designer.

We were delighted to share Tāku Huia Kaimanawa, a series of Fiona Pardington works based on the huia birds and feathers held in our collection. These stunning works were a showstopper in our linkway gallery. We’re even more delighted to say that two works from the display are now in our collection – one gifted by Fiona as a commissioners copy, and one purchased and gifted by the MTG Foundation. During the year our front foyer had a dazzling work, Chromacade, by Janna van Hasselt. A series of ‘extrusions’ in rainbow colours popped against a fluorescent green surface. Falling in and out of a herringbone shape these forms seemed to dance across the wall.

Another playful display, Eye Spy: Curious Stories, looks at patterns and design in a range of objects from the collection. Exploring touch, smell, sight and sound this exhibition invites visitors to look a little closer. A giant collaborative ‘ei (think lei) adds the final touch, allowing visitors to contribute their own piece of design to Eye Spy. Having hosted EIT students over the year, we were happy to display some of their work in Through Lens and Light. This display showcases their range of photographic skills – from studio and documentary to product and landscape shots and provides insight into their unique skills, interests and perspectives.

Pictures and other works celebrates 10 years of the MTG Foundation fundraising and purchasing works for the collection. This group of dedicated and generous patrons work to ensure Hawke’s Bay has a collection that is worthy of the region and will be enjoyed for many generations to come. The final exhibition for the year, Pūrākau o Te Whenua, opened on 23 December and explores the legends and tales of Te Matau-a-Māui. The special names given to hills, mountains and lakes are all explored in this display – with stories told by local people we learn the cultural and historic connections about the whenua/land of our beautiful region.

This year also saw the building project in Hastings break ground. This purpose built facility will provide a permanent and appropriate home for the magnificent collection that the Hawke’s Bay Museums Trust cares for on behalf of the community. With over 90,000 objects this is the largest collection outside the four main centres and one of the older collections in the country. Te Matau-a-Māui is privileged to hold such a significant collection and it is gratifying to know it will be cared for appropriately into the future.

It has been a very challenging year and, although I think I say this every year, 2023 has definitely been a long year and one that has tested many of us. For those of you who work through the holiday season I hope people recognise that sacrifice, treat you with kindness and respect and that you get your own opportunity to have a well-deserved break at some point. For everyone else I hope you take the opportunity to spend time with family and friends, stop, relax, re-energise and refresh.

Published in the Hawke’s Bay Today newspaper on 23 December 2023 and written by Laura Vodanovich, Director at MTG Hawke’s Bay.

Attention to detail makes visitors’ experience special

Jason Napthali and Elizabeth Goodall preparing the collection for relocation to the new collection store in Hastings

Museums and galleries require a lot of different people, activities and tasks to make them function. Most are aware of the curator’s role in an organisation such as ours – they undertake all the research behind exhibitions, find themes and interesting elements, look at the subject-matter in a wider context and then, ultimately, distil it down into the information you see when you enter one of our galleries. They choose objects from the collection, or borrow items, and carefully consider what is grouped together and how they support the display.

Generally, people are also aware that there are collection items held by the museum and that we have people who manage this – from legal documentation adding things to (or removing them from) the collection. They number, catalogue, pack and house objects and organise loans to and from other institutions or from individuals connected to the concepts, themes or stories we tell in our galleries.

When you visit the museum, you’ll encounter our lovely Customer Service team who greet you and help with any queries. Many of you, I hope, are aware of our fabulous gift shop and this too requires managing, from finding new product, keeping up with restocking and presenting items in a beautiful and appealing way, it takes work.

There’s a lot more that goes on that you may be less aware of. We need to manage copyright issues appropriately, ensuring we’re following copyright laws and engage with copyright holders to achieve this. Just because we might physically own an item, doesn’t mean we have copyright for it. There’s a lot of photography work in the museum – not the kind that I do snapping an image with my phone – proper professional photography. This happens for a variety of reasons: for museum purposes such as publications, social media posts, website and exhibitions, or external requests for personal use, inclusion in book publications, research and so on. The intersection between photography and copyright is fluid and continuous.

Within our exhibitions there’s much you may not consciously notice – everything within a gallery is done deliberately. Colour is chosen carefully, perhaps it symbolises something relevant to the subject matter (paua shell colours in Kuru Taonga: Voices of Kahungunu), it may simply allow the works to shine (such as the neural colours in The Light Shone Clear), it might evoke a sense of place (land and ocean palette in Pūrakāu), or create a feeling (vibrant playful orange in Eye Spy: Curious Stories). The layout, use of mounts, type of materials (wood, metal, etc), font chosen – everything is designed to support the experience. When done well you may not be aware of it, but if the gallery ‘feels right’ and seamless it’s not by accident and our talented team are behind it.

Educators utilise the exhibitions, staff expertise and collection to create unique education experiences that support the school curriculum. With every changing display the Educators develop a new programme to offer schools and students. The recent change in school curriculum, focusing more on Aotearoa’s history, has seen teachers look to the museum even more to help them in this area.

The upshot is that it takes a team to make the museum work, and we have experts and professionals in their fields who make MTG what it is today.

Published in the Hawke’s Bay Today newspaper on 20 April 2024 and written by Laura Vodanovich, Director at MTG Hawke’s Bay.

Light shines on history

Maata Te Taiawatea, c.1957-1960 by Sidney Moko Mead
Collection of Hawke’s Bay Museums Trust, Ruawharo Tā-ū-rangi, 85/20/1

Open today is The Light Shone Clear: History. Perspectives. Art. It’s an exhibition that looks at times and events that have shaped Te Matau-a-Mauī/Hawke’s Bay and Aotearoa. It also brings together a wonderful selection of artworks from the Hawke’s Bay Museum’s Trust collection. Each piece in the exhibition offering a view on the past.

What is a bit special about the exhibition is that it brings some significant works out of the collection. This region’s collection is extraordinary, not just in size—although, by comparison, if you take just the Trust’s art collection, it is equal in size to the entire collection of the Dowse Art Museum—but for the number of exceptionally high quality of works in the collection.

Over the last few years, due to the support of the MTG Foundation, the Trust has been able to make some important acquisitions. Among others, a large piece by Ayesha Green (Ngāti Kahungunu), which has recently been on loan to City Gallery in Wellington; and an important work, Ringatu by Paratene Matchitt. Recently, the Trust was gifted a fantastic piece by artist Greer Twiss, Hobson’s Baggage. This will be the first time these large works have come out of storage to be shown at the museum. These fine pieces will sit alongside art works by Philippa Blair, Tony Fomison, Sandy Adsett, and Fiona Pardington.

Central to the exhibition is a recognition of the historical themes embedded within many of the art works. From reflections on land ownership to critiques of periods in history, the artworks offer a window into the complexities of the past.

Alongside overtly political art works, there are those that simply capture the essence of their era, providing a snapshot of bygone times.

What these artworks have in common is their ability to convey unique perspectives; every artwork being a window into an attitude, a point of view. Through the artist’s work, often marginalised or overlooked voices are brought to the forefront, enriching our understanding of the past and challenging dominant narratives.

Now that the history of Aotearoa is being taught in schools, it’s important to give art a real place in telling our stories. We hope that art can open students up to new perspectives, the exhibition serving as catalysts for deeper inquiry, fostering empathy and a more nuanced comprehension of our collective history.

One artwork that encapsulates this ethos is Sidney Mead’s carved portrait Maata Te Taiawatea, created between 1957 and 1960.

The 1950s and 1960s marked a pivotal time among Māori artists, who were reconciling their experiences of both Māori and Pākehā worlds and considering how customary approaches to art making interfaced with international art movements. Mead, reflecting on that time, wrote ‘Māori artists trained in the art schools of the Pākehā are spearheading a movement to change the face of Māori art more radically than ever before.’

In Maata Te Taiawatea, Mead pays homage to his Tūhourangi and Ngāti Awa grandmother, Te Taiawatea Rangitūkehu, a figure renowned for her diplomatic advocacy for tribal land ownership. In carving his ancestor, Mead’s work aligns with the tradition of ancestral carvings that hold narratives of whakapapa. In Te Taiawatea Rangitūkehu’s spiralling hair – likened to currents in the sea – Mead represents oral traditions, where Māori carving originates from the sea. More contemporary however, is the sculpture’s sleek, glossy finish and absence of surface decoration which shows the influence of international modernism on the work.

In this way, The Light Shone Clear: History. Perspectives. Art. not only celebrates the artistic power in the Trust’s collection but also serves as a testament to the enduring power of art to critically reflect on who we are and how we live.

Published in the Hawke’s Bay Today newspaper 13 April 2024 and written by Toni MacKinnon, Art Curator at MTG Hawke’s Bay.

Tourism plaudit a golden moment for our team

MTG receives Gold assessment. Photographer David Frost

A quality museum, gallery or theatre visit is unique for each person, everyone looks for something different in a visitor attraction. For some people, it may be how they’re greeted on arrival – was it warm and welcoming, for others it may be that staff are knowledgeable and share that information freely with visitors. For another group of people, it could be the quality of facilities and whether they’re accessible to all.

At MTG Hawke’s Bay Tai Ahuriri we want all our visitors to leave with that warm fuzzy feeling, you know the one, when you’ve had a special and enjoyable experience. Perhaps you learnt something new, thought about a subject that you hadn’t before, or saw something from a different viewpoint. Maybe you saw inspiring art on the walls that made you stop and reflect on what the artist might have been thinking when they made it. Or it could be that wow moment when you realise you’ve been so engrossed with what you’re seeing and reading that you lost track of time. We want all our visitors to have those wow experiences at MTG, to tell their friends and family about how great it was, to encourage others to visit, and return again themselves.

So how do we go about delivering a high quality customer service – one way is to measure ourselves against industry standards. We’re long standing members of Qualmark, which works with Tourism New Zealand to provide benchmarks, help the industry deliver high-quality experiences and maintain a high level of visitor satisfaction. Qualmark has been around for 30 years and over that time they’ve assessed and guided many businesses to operate sustainably and deliver quality experiences.

Each year Qualmark spends time onsite at MTG, evaluating the museum, gallery and theatre operations and experience. In December last year, the Qualmark assessor came to Te Matau-a-Māui / Hawke’s Bay, looking at our processes and policies, how we interact with our customers and what we offer. They assessed us under the Sustainable Tourism Business criteria which looks at five different pillars: Business Systems, Health and Safety, Environment, People, Community and Culture and rated how well we’re performing – are we just meeting expectations or are we going above and beyond – exemplifying best practice. As part of this process, a written report is provided which acknowledges what we do well and provides suggestions for things we can improve.

MTG has received a Silver accreditation since 2017 and finally, last month, we received our latest evaluation report and we’ve now reached our goal of Gold – so we have stars in our eyes now.

As a team we feel super pleased and validated to have achieved Gold. It tells us our team are operating at the highest level, delivering amazing gallery experiences and exceptional customer service, something that’s integral to everything we do. From the research and thought behind exhibitions, the care and protection of the collection, amazing design and build work hidden behind the scenes and of course our people who are out the front interacting with you, our community and visitors. This Gold Sustainable Tourism Accreditation identifies MTG as a front runner in making New Zealand tourism a world-class sustainable visitor experience.

Published in the Hawke’s Bay Today newspaper on 6 April 2024 and written by Debbie Ormsby, Visitor Engagement Manager at MTG Hawke’s Bay.

Behind the scenes of an exhibition

Flash on display in previous exhibition, Silver Shadows, at MTG

This month we closed Silver Shadows: The Story of Marineland. This nostalgic exhibition exemplified the significant amount of research and detail that goes into creating such an experience. Our curatorial team spend considerable time ensuring they fully understand any subject matter they are researching, before they identify the key storylines and consider the best way to group and order the information. Some exhibitions work best chronologically, such as A Bloody Business: the history of five Hawke’s Bay freezing works, while others, like Pūrākau o Te Whenua, are arranged geographically, and yet others are split into themes, for example Silver: heirlooms from the collection. There is no one way to order how we present our exhibitions – each one is unique and deserves its own considerations.

For Silver Shadows, Gail Pope, our History Curator, delved deeply into Marineland records, newspapers, Daily Telegraph photographs and other articles, along with interviewing ex-employees and visitors, to fully uncover the rich and varied history of Marineland and present a truly unique exhibition. Not only does all this research support the development of exhibitions but also newspaper columns, public talks, tours, education programmes and occasionally publications. A number of our exhibitions over the last several years have included original videos interviewing people related to the subject matter of the exhibition. All these outputs of research provide an important archive and contribute to the body of knowledge and research for the future.

While I am often sad to see exhibitions close, with the departure of one exhibition another one follows. The team are now working on the install of our next exhibition The Light Shone Clear: History. Perspectives. Art. This exhibition, curated by Toni MacKinnon, conveys a perspective on times and events that shaped Te Matau-a-Māui / Hawke’s Bay and Aotearoa / New Zealand, through the art collection. Some artworks were created in the period of an event, while other are more recent looking back into history – they all provide an interesting framework and perspective.

There is also much more than research involved in creating an exhibition. Our collections staff manage issues like copyright, ensure objects and artworks are in the best condition possible, and update and track the location of each collection item. If we need to borrow items from other institutions or individuals for display, the collection team organise the contract, packing, transport, receipts and condition reporting – and the reverse at the end of the loan.

Then our design staff determine the exhibition layout, look and feel, they construct temporary walls, plinths and structures that give shape to the gallery space. They create unique mounts specifically fitted to each item, frame images and artwork, complete graphic design elements and finally install everything along with the objects.

Once the exhibition is created, we are not done – our educators develop innovative new programmes for each exhibition and offer these to schools. Staff organise an opening event, social media, newsletters and other marketing material, and our fabulous customer service team promote and explain the exhibition to our visitors.

Next time you come into the museum, why not have a good look around at one of our exhibitions and consider all the work and talent that has gone into it. It takes everyone at the museum to deliver an exhibition and I think the region should be really proud of what this amazing team of people do – I know I am!

Published in the Hawke’s Bay Today newspaper on 30 March 2024 and written by Laura Vodanovich, Director at MTG Hawke’s Bay.

Captain brave, determined and strong-willed

Frank Guy at anchor, entrance of the Inner Harbour, circa 1881.

Captain Henry Kraeft, described as a colourful figure, brave, determined and strong-willed – a law-unto-himself – was appointed Port Ahuriri’s Assistant Pilot in 1865. Eleven years later, when promoted to the highly esteemed position of harbourmaster and chief pilot, the Napier Harbour Board were conscious they were employing the services of the port’s most experienced and knowledgeable captain.

Kraeft had proven his worth many times – on one occasion, during extremely heavy south-west winds, he was piloting the Silver Cloud, under tow of the steamer Go-Ahead. The squally conditions threatened to push the Silver Cloud onto the bank of the Eastern Pier. With steely determination and “great precision”, Kraeft brought the vessel safely into the roadstead (a partly sheltered area of water near the shore) and while doing so, “though speaking against the wind and at some distance”, could be distinctly heard by those on board as well as on shore.

During the early 1880s, Port Ahuriri experienced two major issues which caused continual concern for Captain Kraeft: the port was plagued with too much shingle build-up at the entrance and there was a constant lack of “wharfage accommodation”. The shingle build-up proved very time-consuming as the “progressive decrease in the depth of water up to the breastwork” meant that Kraeft had to continually juggle sailing ships and steamers as they unloaded. The disgorging of cargo caused a vessel’s draft (the vertical distance between waterline and the bottom of the keel) to lessen, enabling it to become light enough to move further along the wharf, allowing more fully-ladened vessels to move in.

On Saturday 12 November 1881, a fine and sunny day, the ship Frank Guy arrived at Te Matau-a-Māui / Hawke’s Bay from Newcastle, New South Wales. Instead of being towed in and moored, the Frank Guy, along with two other large vessels, had to “lay in idleness in the roadstead unable to get a berth owing to there being insufficient water for a ship to extend far up the breastwork”.

For four days the Frank Guy languished in the roadstead, causing a heavy financial burden to owner and current Mayor of Napier, John Vautier. The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that if something was not done by the Harbour Board, the delay in allowing vessels to discharge cargo would cause “serious inconvenience to Napier”. The reporter further prophesised that if the problems weren’t quickly resolved, owners would be loath to send their vessels to Port Ahuriri merely for them to lose money in unnecessary down-time.

Under Napier Harbour Board’s rules and regulations, a ship’s captain could not attempt to enter the harbour without a pilot on board unless “compelled by necessity, in which case a semaphore will guide the vessel in the deepest water over the bar”.  It was not until 16 November 1881 that Captain Kraeft boarded the Frank Guy and berthed it, allowing it’s cargo to be discharged.

By the end of that day the “breastwork was fully occupied with the Silver Cloud, Mary Wadley, Frank Guy and Endeavour”, alongside which were the local fleet of small steamers and lighters which constantly popped in and out. Meanwhile the pressure was on Captain Kraeft, as out past the roadstead, the brigantine Eliza and Mary and schooner Columbia were waiting to berth, with two more sailing ships expected within days.

Captain Kraeft’s actions on that day subsequently evolved into a full-blown dispute with Jacob Balle, the Frank Guy’s captain. According to Kraeft he alerted Balle that at high tide he wished to move the Frank Guy inside to berth. Nonetheless when the tide rose, there being no wind, Captain Balle decided to go ashore and attend to business with Dalgety’s & Co. While ashore the wind changed and Captain Kraeft, instead of wasting time as he had been accused of in the past, boarded the Frank Guy and, without Balle present, brought it inside “at the very first opportunity”.

Subsequently, Captain Balle wrote to the Napier Harbour Board complaining that the harbourmaster had taken control of the Frank Guy without him present. He queried whether, if an incident had occurred without him on board, would all responsibility have been removed from his shoulders.

Kraeft was instructed by the Harbour Board to address the incident. In his report he stated that he “frequently had to take out and bring in vessels” without the captain on board, as his prime objective was to bring vessels in at the “very first opportunity”. The dispute took over two months to resolve and resulted in an uneasy impasse between the two opponents.

Captain Kraeft retained the harbourmaster’s position until the night of 12 August 1902 when, near the Shakespeare Hotel, he fell off the Spit bus and under its wheels. He was badly injured and, although he made a good recovery, he resigned in November that year.

This beautiful photograph of the three masted topsail schooner Frank Guy, anchored at the entrance to the Inner Harbour, is part of the Hawke’s Bay Museums Trust collection. In the distance, can be seen Mataruahou / Scinde Island, Port Ahuriri and the many businesses lining the wharf. On the left, you can see the beginning of Westshore spit. It’s a romantic image of a time long gone, which can still evoke a sense of nostalgia and longing and, like any image, can be worth a thousand words.

Published in the Hawke’s Bay Today newspaper on 23 March 2024 and written by Gail Pope, Social History Curator at MTG Hawke’s Bay

Artist’s work acts as a bridge between art and science

Gabby O’Connor, All the Colours, All the Light, 2017-2024, Ashburton Art Gallery, 2023.
Image courtesy of the artist.

Some years ago, artist-researcher Gabby O’Connor was flying from Tokyo to New York, when the airplane passed over a moonlit Arctic. That vivid experience sparked her interest in the polar regions and led to a series of projects involving working with scientists and local communities to communicate the connections between art, science, and climate.

Early on, secondhand accounts and tertiary research informed her knowledge of Antarctica, but some years later Gabby was able to visit the frozen continent. Gabby jokes, ‘my works are the results of a not very intrepid artist going to a very intrepid place.’

In 2015, O’Connor spent several weeks in Antarctica working in a shipping container laboratory on sea ice in McMurdo Sound. Invited back, she returned to Antarctica a year later – to continue photographing and measuring platelet ice.

Gabby’s art acts as a bridge between art and science, with there often being an explicit educational component of the work’s production. In 2022, Gabby exhibited at the National Aquarium in Napier in an installation titled The Unseen, an art-science collaboration made out of rope and the work of the unseen hands of hundreds of visitors.

This week, in the foyer of MTG Hawke’s Bay Tai Ahuriri, Gabby has installed All the Colours, All the Light, an ethereal work that incorporates the effect of light beaming through gel forms. The work is based on the meteorological phenomenon called diamond dust, which consists of tiny ice crystals floating in the air close to the ground. It occurs when the air is very cold and clear, in places like Antarctica. Tiny crystals are revealed when the sunlight hits them, making it look like glitter or sparkles.

Light is a key element in Gabby’s work, connecting the work with the space while also amplifying the sensory experience of its color properties. Bringing it back to the science of it, Gabby says, ‘it relates to the idea of the role of light in climate change too’.

All the Colours, All the Light first showed in Sharjah Art Museum in 2017 and more recently at the Dowse Art Museum and at Ashburton Art Gallery. Each time, the installation has morphed in response to the architecture of the space.

Gabby is interested in the architecture of the building and how her installations impact visitor movement through its space. Here, the work will be experienced by people in transit. ‘As much as making people conscious of their own movement and impact on a space is a sculptural idea, it is also a way of thinking about our own impact on climate.’ Gabby says.

Working from engineering and architectural plans to prepare for the installation of the work, and as if drawing in three dimensions, Gabby adapts the work further as she installs it. Potential variations in the form of the work are as infinitely various as the diamond dust clouds they respond to.

Gabby has dedicated her artistic practice to communicating environmental changes and climate shifts. Yet so much of the beauty of All the Colours, All the Light is in our experience of it as an artwork.  How in moving around it, it reveals new dimensions, how it casts dynamic shadows, and how it works with light. It’s that genuine wonder in the experience of it, that opens you up to the more challenging ideas it contains.

Gabby O’Connor, All the Colours, All the Light, MTG is on until 3 November 2024.

Gabby will be giving an artist talk in the evening of Friday 26 April and holding workshops for children, teens and adults on Saturday 27 April. See our website mtghawkesbay.com for details closer to the time.

Published in the Hawke’s Bay Today newspaper 16 March 2023 and written by Toni MacKinnon, Art Curator at MTG Hawke’s Bay.

Napier’s Municipal Theatre a labour of love

The exterior of the Napier Municipal Theatre, 1911

On 21 December 1911, in front of “a fair attendance” of locals, Mayor Vigor Brown, regally attired in his official robes, laid the new Municipal Theatre’s foundation stone. In his ceremonial speech he referred to the size of the stone, which weighed in at five hundred weight (227 kilograms), by stating that the “bigger the building the bigger the foundation stone should be”. A cavity had been specifically prepared beneath the stone and in this he deposited a bottle containing copies of local newspapers, a selection of New Zealand currency and a copy of Napier Borough Council’s current financial statement.

In 1911 John Vigor Brown had been Mayor for just three years. This colourful and well-known figure was described by Lady Joy Axford in her Dictionary of New Zealand Biography essay as “robust and comfortably dressed, complete with watch and chain, side-whiskers, glasses and top hat”. He was one of Hawke’s Bay top entrepreneurial men – Director of Napier Gas Company, Chairman of various concerns including the White Swan Brewery, Hawke’s Bay Soap and Tannery, Criterion Hotel, Theatre Royal and J Vigor Brown companies.

To perform the ceremony, and as a symbol of the occasion, the building contractors for the theatre, Bull Brothers, presented the Mayor with an ornate silver trowel. This trowel, Vigor Brown declared, would be always treasured as a memento. Ever the egalitarian, he ended his speech by promising that everyone, regardless of social standing, would have the opportunity to attend a performance, as approximately 500 seats would always be set aside at an “affordable admittance price”. This he hoped would prevent exorbitant prices being charged by theatrical companies. At the completion of the Mayor’s speech, Councilor Samuel Carnell called for three cheers from the audience who responded in a “feeble” and unenthusiastic manner”.

Initially the theatre was to be built on a vacant portion of Clive Square, however Amelia Randall, one of Hawke’s Bays wealthiest women and a generous philanthropist, offered land on Tennyson Street at a very reduced rate. On 4 November 1912 the Hawke’s Bay Herald excitedly announced that the new theatre was practically completed. Designed by well-known Melbourne architect, William Pitt, the exterior was in “thorough good taste” although “heavy and massive”. This utilitarian appearance was emphasised by the sides which appeared gaunt and bare, particularly because the Council had removed all mature trees from the surrounds.

The sheer beauty and sumptuousness of the interior belied these initial impressions. When entering one of the three doors from Tennyson Street, the audience was led into a large vestibule housing the ticket offices and cloak rooms. From here a patron could either walk up a sweeping staircase to reach the dress circle, which seated up to 266 people, or alternatively go through one of two doors on either side of the stairs into the stalls, which could accommodate 500. The dress circle opened out to a spacious foyer, off which was a café and cloak rooms. It was from this area that the two boxes overlooking the stage could be entered. The tip-up seats installed in these areas were richly upholstered and comfortable.

This luxurious seating differed from that in ‘the gods’, positioned high above the stage. Instead of entering through the vestibule, the gods was accessed through an outdoor side entrance. Here the furnishings were “not so luxurious”, with platform communal seating that could accommodate up to 700. Despite this, the newspaper emphasised that the gods was “not a place to be despised”, particularly from a spectator’s point of view.

The decoration of the theatre was a special feature entrusted to the Australian firm Coulter and Fulton, ably assisted by local tradesmen. Each decoration was “executed entirely by hand” and comprised beautiful landscapes, raised decorative scrolls and panels of clematis and poppies. Throughout the public spaces of the building, elaborately gilded plaster work prevailed along with handsome friezes depicting reeds, kingfishers, and a variety of flowers. The dome was a delight, being exquisitely painted with a fresco which was surrounded by cupids entwined with roses and foliage. The furnishings, including the seats, carpets, curtains and drop-scene were all in deep blue plush and velvet. The orchestra pit, the entrance of which was cunningly accessed from beneath the stage, could accommodate 20 musicians. It was railed off and protected from the audience with curtains.

The Napier Operatic Society was given the distinction of staging the opening performance, an honour they “worthily fulfilled” by performing the musical comedy A Greek Slave. Before the performance began, Mayor Vigor Brown formally declared the Municipal Theatre open, prior to which he empathically declared that some Napier pessimists thought the theatre too large. He had a contrary opinion – Napier “had the best climate, the best parade, the best baths in New Zealand, then why not the best theatre also”. The theatre, a William Pitt architectural gem, was on a par with Melbourne, Australia.

The Hawke’s Bay Museums Trust collection often has an array of objects that illustrate an occasion, and the opening of the Napier Municipal Theatre in 1911 is no exception. Amongst the objects are numerous images of the exterior and interior of the theatre along with the treasured ceremonial trowel gifted to Mayor Vigor Brown. These items have always been particularly poignant, as this magnificent building, a labour of love led by a small community, was totally destroyed in the 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake –a mere 20 years after the official opening.

Published in the Hawke’s Bay Today newspaper on 9 March 2024 and written by Gail Pope, Social History Curator at MTG Hawke’s Bay

Myths about women in the workplace

Gallery photograph of exhibition on New Zealand MP, Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan, at MTG Hawke’s Bay, 2014.

March 8 is International Women’s Day and this year the theme is ‘Inspire Inclusion’ – to encourage more inclusion for women.

So what is stopping women from sitting at the top tables? The ninth Women in the Workplace report by McKinsey confirms ongoing inequities in the workplace with women underrepresented in the corporate pipeline. The report, which included 276 organisations across America and Canada and involved surveys of over 27,000 employees and leaders, identified and debunked four key myths about women in the workplace.

Myth number one is that women are becoming less ambitious when, in actual fact, women are more ambitious now than they were before the pandemic, with flexibility being a key factor in driving that ambition.

Myth number two is that the glass ceiling is what holds women back. In fact the ‘broken rung’ is what the report identified as the biggest barrier. The broken rung refers to the smaller number of women, 87 to every 100 men, getting promoted to their first managerial role – this means as you go higher and higher up the ranks there are fewer women in the running for senior positions.

Myth number three is that microaggressions have a small (micro) impact, when in fact they have a significant and lasting impact. Microaggressions are small comments or actions which undermine, demean or dismiss someone based on their gender (or other aspects of identity). Women experience many times more microaggressions than men and the cumulative effect of this means women “are much less likely to feel psychologically safe, which makes it harder to take risks, propose new ideas, or raise concerns.

The stakes feel just too high. On top of this, 78 percent of women who face microaggressions self-shield at work, or adjust the way they look or act in an effort to protect themselves. For example, many women code-switch – or tone down what they say or do – to try to blend in and avoid a negative reaction at work.”

The final myth is that it’s mostly women who want and benefit from flexibile work when men and women both rate this as a ‘top 3’ employee benefit. For women the option of flexible work is linked in with myth three, with working remotely providing a higher level of psychological safety for women as they face fewer microaggressions. “Not to mention that men benefit disproportionately from on-site work: compared with women who work on-site, men are seven to nine percentage points more likely to be “in the know”, receive the mentorship and sponsorships they need, and have their accomplishments noticed and rewarded.”

Here in Aotearoa we also have issues to address around equity for women. Listed companies on the New Zealand Stock Exchange show only 28.5% woman in governance roles. Although this is an improvement from 22% in 2019, the numbers are even lower for women in executive management positions, sitting at just 26.4%. The gender pay gap also persists, currently at 8.6%, marginally down from 9.9% in 2014.

So what can we do? LeanIn partnered with McKinsey on the Women In the Workplace report and if you go to LeanIn.org you will find some great resources on this subject to help individuals and organisations become more aware of their biases and provides ideas and tools to help combat this.

Published in the Hawke’s Bay Today newspaper on 1 March 2024 and written by Laura Vodanovich, Director at MTG Hawke’s Bay.

Ata Moana draws inspiration from Tongan practice of pattern-making

Still from video installation ‘Ata Moana’ 2024.  by Dr Sione Faletau

Recordings made on the shoreline of Te Matau-a-Māui have been transformed into a stunning installation by digital artist Dr. Sione Faletau. Faletau’s installations combine geometric forms and movement to create an immersive digital exhibition experience that you must visit.

‘Ata Moana’ also draws inspiration from traditional kupesi. Kupesi is the Tongan practice of pattern-making and carries meanings and histories, with deep connections to place.

Faletau’s practice is site-specific. Visiting Ahuriri, Napier in 2023, Faletau responded to the Museum’s architecture and drew inspiration from its connection to Moana-nui-a-Kiwa. In making this work, Faletau began with the recordings he made on the shoreline of Te Matau-a-Māui.

Digital sound waves give Faletau a range of high, medium, and low frequencies that he manipulates into moving image form. “Audio wave spectrums of sound form data or information that give me the material I manipulate to become kupesi. Much like how tufunga (tapa artists) manipulate material to create their art,” Sione says.

Projection mapping those kupesi onto forms, the patterns morph into an organic experience, seamlessly bridging the realms of technology and nature. This innovative method has opened a new language and a unique way of seeing and engaging with kupesi in the contemporary realm.

“I research things that interest me. If I find something interesting with sound or within Tongan cultural practices, I’m going in that direction – these things that I just keep unlocking, so to speak. And I guess that’s what sustains the creative drive and that state of flow.”

Sione is of Tongan descent, from the villages of Taunga and Lakepa in Tonga. ‘Ata Moana’ presents the Tongan worldview in an exciting and fresh way, digitally exploring the visual potential of sound in his work. His art practice is multidisciplinary; he has many strands of art making which he utilizes to explore ideas through the mediums of performance, video, drawing, sculpture, and installation. Most recently, his practice has moved more into the digital realm where he works to explore the visual language of soundscape and design.

Exhibitions like ‘Ata Moana’ are important, offering a dynamic fusion of tradition and innovation. By transforming recordings from Te Matau-a-Māui’s shoreline into immersive digital installations and drawing inspiration from Tongan kupesi, Sione creates a new visual language, bridging the gap between technology and nature. Of delving into the past and responding using new technologies, Faletau says, “I guess we’re playing with time and space. These are about traditional forms being created with contemporary means.”

Published in the Hawke’s Bay Today newspaper 24 February 2023 and written by Toni MacKinnon, Art Curator at MTG Hawke’s Bay.

Objects evoke feelings about our history

Harry Pond’s Napier Technical College shirt, cut off him by medical staff after the 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake

These last two weeks, as we remembered both a cyclone and an earthquake, I am reminded of the importance of our collective memories. Museums and archives often hold important objects from our past. These items, sometimes seemingly unimportant such as a torn shirt, contain the memory of a moment, evoke feelings, and hold our history.

One such piece in our collection is indeed a torn shirt (along with a pair of shorts and cap) worn by Harold (Harry) Pond when he was trapped in Napier Technical College following the 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake. The shirt was cut from him by medical staff at Nelson Park after he was dug out from under the ruins. These items he carefully stored away for decades without any of his family knowing.

Other items we hold that represent the earthquake are burnt and damaged ceramics, fused jewellery, and displaced possessions never reclaimed. In the very nature of their abandoned or damaged condition the enormity of that event is kept and remembered.

A cyclone is harder to collect material from as so much was contaminated and needed to be disposed. What item(s) could encapsulate the horrific nature of that event? In decades to come, it will only be in objects and archival material carefully protected and kept, that future generations will have a sense of that moment in Te Matau-a-Māui / Hawke’s Bay’s history.

At MTG Hawke’s Bay Tai Ahuriri we hold all the Hawke’s Bay Museums Trust’s treasures gently on behalf of the entire community, current and yet to come. The enormous importance of what we care for is not lost on us. Our dedicated team of collection staff know how to hold, store and care for these important treasures. They ensure we know what we have, where it is and where it came from. The stories that accompany our collections are what give them life – what is the relevance of a torn shirt from Napier Technical College without knowing the personal story behind it?

The enormous task of preparing our collections to move them in their entirety to their new permanent home in Hastings next year is daunting. This space will allow us to store each item in the best way possible but often means we need to prepare or repack them before we move.

Paintings for example, currently housed in crates making them hard to access, will be stored on painting racks that can be pulled out to allow the paintings to be easily viewed. In order to hang the paintings on racks there needs to be specialised, earthquake proof, hanging mechanisms attached to hundreds of artworks.

Each object type is carefully considered and the best option for storage and protection selected. Some objects are having specialised crates made, others are being secured on pallets or repacked for pull out drawers, and so on.

The collection preparation and move is a massive logistical exercise and one which is undertaken with care and love for each precious item. It is an exercise in ensuring our collective stories and memories are protected, not just for now but for future generations – to whom we will be as mysterious and fascinating as our earlier ancestors are for us today.

Published in the Hawke’s Bay Today newspaper on 17 February 2024 and written by Laura Vodanovich, Director at MTG Hawke’s Bay.