No relatives at William Colenso’s graveside

Oil painting of Reverend William Colenso by Gottried Lindauer

William Colenso was born in Penzance, England in 1811. At the age of 14 years, he became an apprentice printer and, in 1833, accepted the position as Church Missionary Society printer for Aotearoa / New Zealand. Colenso arrived with a small Stanhope printing press at Paihia on 30th December 1834 and was greeted by Māori, who gave him the name Koroneho. When the printing press was set up, Colenso produced the first Aotearoa publication – a Māori translation by William Williams of the “Epistle of Paul”. Demand by Māori for written material was insatiable and Colenso’s publications subsequently increased the authority and extent of missionary influence. By 1840 Colenso had produced over 74,000 books and pamphlets – not all religious.

For clergymen like Colenso, the study of nature was often seen as the study of God’s handiwork. While living in Paihia, he developed an interest in botany, and his many missionary journeys to localities unknown and unexplored by Pākehā, provided him with remarkable opportunities for plant collecting and exploration. He grew to love Aotearoa’s flora and fauna. In 1896 he wrote: “In every aspect of nature there is joy;  whether it be the purity of virgin morning, or the sombre grey of a day of clouds, or the solemn pomp and majesty of night;  whether it be the chaste lines of the crystal on yonder … mountain range, or the waving ever-changing outlines of distant hills tremulously visible through the slanting rays of the setting sun;  the minute petals of the New Zealand daisy, or the overhanging forms of mysterious forests;  it is a pure delight to see.” 

Bishop Selwyn accepted Colenso as a candidate for ordination on the prerequisite that he acquired a wife to support him in his work. Colenso proposed to Elizabeth Fairburn, the daughter of missionary parents, and they married in April 1843. During a trip to Te Matau-a-Māui / Hawke’s Bay with Reverend William Williams in 1843 it was agreed, in consultation with local Māori, to establish a mission station at Waitangi – situated at the mouth of the Ngaruroro River.

Colenso was ordained as deacon September 1844 at Waimate, Bay of Islands. Three months later, Colenso, Elizabeth, their daughter Frances, along with two Māori servants, Rīpeka Meretene and Hāmuera, left to establish the Waitangi Mission Station in Te Matau-a-Māui.

Elizabeth, a competent Māori scholar, fluent in te reo Māori and skilled in homeopathic medicine, taught local Māori children and women to read and write, as well as providing nursing care to the community. Whenever Colenso was away on his extensive expeditions, it was Elizabeth who ran the mission.

The discovery that Colenso was the father of Wiremu, born 28th May 1851 to Rīpeka Meretene, was a great shock to Elizabeth. As a result of his indiscretion, Colenso was suspended as deacon in November 1852 and dismissed from the mission. Elizabeth, with Wiremu, left the following year and Colenso lived on alone at Waitangi, becoming a virtual recluse. In 1861 he moved to Napier township (Colenso Avenue) and, during the latter part of his life, increasingly turned to writing and botanical work.

The Hawke’s Bay Philosophical Institute (MTG Hawke’s Bay’s predecessor) was established by a group of ‘important and influential men’ at a meeting held 14 September 1874. Under its constitution, the Institute was founded for “the advancement of Science, Literature and Art as well as for the development of the resources of the Colony”. From its inception, Colenso was a driving force and mainstay behind the Institute, appointed both Secretary and Treasurer, positions he held for ten years.

A Gottfried Lindauer painting of Colenso was commissioned by the Philosophical Institute to hang in pride of place on one of the walls of the Athenaeum. On 14 November 1894, before the oil painting was officially hung at the Athenaeum, it was displayed in John Craig’s shop window on Hastings Street, Napier where, according to the Daily Telegraph newspaper, it “attracted a great deal of public attention”. Lindauer’s portrait of William Colenso shows a venerable gentleman, dressed in clerical garb, with a kindly face, engaging brown eyes and long-flowing grey hair and beard. His overall demure is one of a man who had lived a long and interesting life.

Also in 1894, Colenso was re-admitted to the Anglican clergy, acting as a relieving minister. William Colenso died 10 February 1899 and was buried in the Napier Cemetery. Henry Hill, friend and colleague, wrote of the funeral “The scene…was sad, and withal, beautiful. An old man full of years and honours was borne to his last resting place. Yet no wife, no child, no relative was there to mourn his passing…”

Published in the Hawke’s Bay Today newspaper on 11 May 2024 and written by Gail Pope, Social History Curator 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.

Set for another year of educational fun

Educational fun and games at MTG

As for everyone in Hawke’s Bay, 2023 was a tough year, and for the education team at MTG Hawke’s Bay Tai Ahuriri, it was no different. We started term one with our calendar full, but in the blink of an eye, a cyclone hit, and everything changed. Our educators had to adjust bookings, teaching spaces, and adapt the way some of the programmes were taught. We took our programmes out to some schools as they were unable to travel to Napier, reaching as far north as Te Pohue and as south as Porangahau.

Even with all the disruptions (adding COVID into the mix too), our educators delivered programmes to 5567 students during the year. Our most popular primary school programme in 2023 was “Pānia and Moremore,” exploring how Pānia Reef got its name, who she was, and the kaitiaki role Moremore plays around Ahuriri. For intermediate students, the “Hangarau me te Māori: Māori and Technology” programme delves into early Māori tools and their adaptation to modern tools. Students then create their tools using natural resources. The new programme, “The Great Ahuriri Escape,” was a hit with junior high school students, offering an escape room scenario where they solve puzzles to learn about local landmarks. All our programmes align with the New Zealand Curriculum and, notably, the Aotearoa Histories Curriculum, which classroom teachers are required to teach from 2023 as part of the curriculum refresh.

Over the Christmas break, our educators have been busy preparing for another busy year—refreshing old programmes and designing new ones that classroom teachers have requested. Yes, we work alongside teachers to ensure our programmes align with classroom learning outcomes and the localised curriculum – Hawke’s Bay stories.

New programmes for 2024 include “Waka Huia,” taught to Year 11 NCEA visual arts students. They get a close-up look at different waka huia, hue (gourd), and treasure boxes from the MTG collection—an amazing opportunity to see primary source artefacts. “Te Wā o ngā Tohorā,” the Time of the Whales programme, explores how Māori and Pākehā lived and worked together, their connection to the natural world, and tells the story of the Tohorā whales of Te Matau-a-Maui / Hawke’s Bay through primary source collection images and artefacts. “Art Deco: Rising from the Ashes” looks at the Art Deco architecture sweeping across the world in the 1930s and how the region embraced the style following the February 3rd earthquake in 1931, exploring the symbols, motifs, and meanings behind these different shapes.

Don’t worry early childhood educators – we haven’t forgotten about you. Our educators are putting the final touches on our “Rongokako” programme designed especially for early childhood and hope to roll this out over the coming months.

Now we come to February; schools are back this week, our calendar is starting to fill up, and the educators at MTG are sending positive thoughts out to the universe. We would love to get through a year with no COVID, no cyclones, no disruptions—please!

Published in the Hawke’s Bay Today newspaper on 3 February 2024 and written by Debbie Ormsby, Visitor Engagement Manager at MTG Hawke’s Bay.

Celebrations and a challenging anniversary

Straight into the New Year there’s are already a lot on the go at MTG Hawke’s Bay Tai Ahuriri – plans are in place for a number of upcoming events/milestones. For Waitangi Day 6 February we’re encouraging people to read and learn more about Tiriti o Waitangi / Treaty of Waitangi. To that end, starting Monday 29 January we’re offering a 20 percent discount on any books in our shop related to the treaty. Why not take the opportunity to come in, grab a bargain and learn more about our history in the process.

Chinese New Year is celebrated on 10 February and this year is the year of the dragon – an auspicious and extraordinary creature. We’ll be providing dragon themed activities in our Drop-In-Zone for children and adults alike to enjoy.

Wednesday 14 February is the first anniversary of the devastation wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle. It’s a challenging anniversary as people were affected very differently, with some still displaced, others grieving, and many stuck in limbo trying to navigate insurance, payouts, etc. Consequently, there is no right encompassing message for the whole cyclone community. We will have an acknowledgement of the anniversary and a space to add your thoughts.

Then there is the Art Deco Festival – the first in four years! Hard to imagine the last three years of no festival, disrupted first by Covid-19 and then by Cyclone Gabrielle. We hope for the Art Deco Trust and the region that this year’s festival beginning, 15 February, is a huge success. It is a celebration of resilience – Te Matau-a-Māui / Hawke’s Bay, a region that re-emerged from the devastating earthquake (still the largest in terms of loss of life in Aotearoa) resulting in a reconstruction encompassing Art Deco as something new and unique across the region. We invite you to bring any visitors you may be hosting, to view the 1931 Hawke’s Bay Earthquake exhibition and learn about the disastrous event that led to the region becoming an important Art Deco centre.

Of course, MTG is right in the centre of all the activity. We’ll have a small display of recently acquired Lalique vases in our front window, along with the display of Clarice Cliff ceramics downstairs next to the earthquake exhibition. On Saturday 17 February you can enjoy Swingin’ Deco Delights: A Jazz Variety Night in the Century Theatre. To book for this new event visit the Art Deco Trust website for ticket information. We hope to see you around Napier and Hastings supporting this important festival for Te Matau-a-Māui.

Published in the Hawke’s Bay Today newspaper on 26 January 2024 and written by Laura Vodanovich, Director at MTG Hawke’s Bay.

Beautiful painting an important part of history

“Reverend Samuel Williams Residence, Lake Te Aute, Hawke’s Bay” by Charles Barraud.

At the end of 2023, the Hawke’s Bay Museums Trust was successful in acquiring, through auction, a small oak-framed painting by well-known colonial artist Charles Decimus Barraud. This beautiful, evocative, and yet delicate watercolour is titled “Reverend Samuel Williams Residence, Lake Te Aute, Hawke’s Bay”. Like many of Barraud’s paintings, it’s an important social commentary on Aotearoa’s history and in this case, the Te Aute region, and missionary Samuel Williams.

A trained chemist, Barraud emigrated to Aotearoa with his wife Sarah on board the “Pilgrim” which anchored at Port Nicholson, Wellington, 24 August 1849. Two months later he established a chemist shop on Lambton Quay, followed quickly by a second, the “Pill Box”, at the corner of Manners and Herbert Streets.

In June 1860, Barraud, keen to extend his business concerns and encouraged by Napier agents Newton & Browne, boarded the “White Swan” bound for Ahuriri to set up a pharmacy in partnership with Thomas Bridge. Two months later Barraud & Bridge’s Pharmacy on Emerson Street opened. By the end of 1862, the pharmacy had moved into newly built premises on Hastings Street. Thomas Bridges died within two years and the partnership was legally dissolved. By mid-1864 the pharmacy, ably managed by John Bowerman “a gentleman in every way qualified to dispense medicines” had been renamed Barraud & Co.

In subsequent years Barraud became one of Wellington’s most respected citizens, renowned for his kindness and involvement in community matters. In his spare time, he was an enthusiastic amateur artist who won recognition as a talented landscape painter. As his business interests prospered, Barraud took every opportunity to travel throughout Aotearoa faithfully recording its beauty in watercolor and oil. His artistic ability was ranked second only to that of John Gully, both of whom “emerged from the ranks of mere amateurs”.

Those who travelled between Napier and Waipukurau during the 1870s would have readily recognised Barraud’s depiction of Samuel Williams residence and the landscape surrounding it – particularly Lake Roto-a-Tara and the island in the centre. Today Lake Roto-a-Tara and the swamp (which were Samuel Williams only direct purchase of land from Māori) no longer exist as he had both areas drained.

In the spring of 1853, Governor George Grey urged Samuel Williams, a missionary, educationalist, pastoralist and farmer to move from Ōtaki to Te Matau-a-Māui / Hawke’s Bay promising him land and money for a Māori School. Rangatira Te Hāpuku and 44 others gave Samuel land at Te Aute to set up a school and farm – the school opened in 1854 with 12 scholars. It was forced to close in 1859 because of a disastrous fire and lack of Government financial support. Samuel in turn focused on fundraising and breaking in the estate to ensure a permanent income for the school until it re-opened in 1872 with James Reynolds as headmaster and Samuel Williams as provider.

When Samuel and his wife Mary arrived at Te Aute, there was no accommodation available so they were forced to live in a pātaka / Māori storehouse as temporary shelter. Soon after Samuel built a raupō hut consisting of two rooms, with thatched roof – a year later another room was added – and for five years this became the couple’s home.

By 1859, it become evident that no financial assistance would be forthcoming from the Christian Missionary Society towards the construction of a missionary house, so Samuel arranged and paid for the carpentry work. With the help of local Māori, native trees were felled, pit-sawn into lengths and a substantial two-storied house surrounded by an open veranda built. Known locally as “The House”, it was situated approximately 100 yards from Te Aute School.

Although the house was large, the Williams family lived a very simple and spartan life. Furniture was restricted to bare necessities and the walls were covered with unbleached calico, being much cheaper than wallpaper. Samuel planted hundreds of trees around the property, lawns were sown, a tennis court built and a large woodland garden containing masses of bluebells, laid out. 

“The House” became the centre of the thriving Te Aute community, with both Māori and Pākehā being welcomed into its fold. On 6 March 1884, Edith Webb, daughter of Reverend Anthony Webb (Ormondville) wrote to her Aunt Mary: “I have been staying at the Sam Williams, they are very nice and kind, they have an awful lot of visitors, and keep a visitors book, just to see how many people stay with them”. She continued “We went over the Maori College at Te Aute, it is such a splendid place beautiful rooms with long rows of white beds; the boys all make their own beds and wash their own clothes, they seem to do it very well”.

No one was allowed to leave “The House” empty-handed. When Reverend Webb was preparing to return for Ormondville after administering the Sacrament at Te Aute, Samuel sent him home “rejoicing with 50 eggs, a sack of turnips and a nice pen of a St Brahma cock & 5 pullets.”

Although the painting has the appearance of being a small working sketch, as distinct from Charles Barraud’s finished watercolours, the subject matter tells a myriad of social history stories about Te Matau-a-Māui making it a significant addition to the collection and giving it great exhibition potential.

Published in the Hawke’s Bay Today newspaper on 20 January 2024 and written by Gail Pope, Social History Curator at MTG Hawke’s Bay

Looking forward to a year of progress, light and colour

Facility that is being built in Hastings

The year 2024 promises to be another busy year at MTG Hawke’s Bay Tai Ahuriri. One of the biggest activities, which will require a lot of our focus, will be something you can’t see happening in the museum – work on the collection care and access facility in Hastings. While the facility is being built, the collections team will be fully focused on preparing each valuable item for their move to Hastings in 2025. The team have a huge task ahead of them, one that is not for the faint-hearted, which will require their full attention. This means that during the year we will not be accepting acquisitions, will have reduced capacity for visits to the collection and enquires, and, from October this year, these services will stop until we re-open in the new facility late 2025. This disruption to a service you may be used to, is exactly what needs to happen to ensure the long-term care and preservation of the collection in an appropriate fit-for-purpose facility. We hope, once you see the new facility, you will realise it is a massive step and gives the collection the home it deserves.

With the collection team’s attention focused elsewhere, we’ll still endeavour to provide a rich programme of exhibitions and displays for the year. To tie in with the Art Deco Festival there’ll be a small display of Lalique vases in the front foyer. A number of these beautiful vases may be familiar to those of you who saw our Renē Lalique exhibition back in 2016. We were lucky enough to acquire these at auction with financial support from the MTG Foundation and the Hawke’s Bay Museums Trust Board. Towards the end of the year, and in preparation for the 2025 Art Deco Festival, we’ll create an Art Deco exhibition acknowledging 100 years since the 1925 International Expo in Paris, where the phrase Art Deco was coined, and celebrating 40 years of the Art Deco Trust in Hawke’s Bay.

In April Stories of Our Place (working title) will let the art and archive collection tell stories from Te Mata-a-Māui. We live in a region with a rich history and many stories and experiences to share – this exhibition will explore a number of them. It’ll also be a first viewing for some of the artworks that have been collected over the last few years, so I’ll be excited to see them on display. There’ll be two important travelling exhibitions this year – one on local legend Sandy Adsett. This exhibition coming from Pataka, Toi Kuru – Sandy Adsett, is a retrospective of Sandy’s impressive artistic career. We’re thrilled to be able to share Sandy’s exhibition here in his home region. The other travelling exhibition also features a local art icon – Rita Angus. Coming from Te Papa, Rita Angus: NZ Modernist, is another must-see exhibition.

This year we’re updating the 1931 Hawke’s Bay Earthquake gallery. The current exhibition does an excellent job telling the social impact of the earthquake, and we certainly want to keep those messages as part of the new gallery. Rather than taking anything away from the existing exhibition, we are adding in more. We’ll be including the science behind earthquakes, the story of Rūaumoko (God of earthquakes), what to do before, during and after an earthquake, and ensuring more regional stories are shared. This is the only gallery that hasn’t been changed since I arrived nearly nine years ago, so it’s time for an update. We’re aware of the importance of this gallery for school groups, tourists and locals alike, so we’ll ensure that a small temporary space is created to at least share the Survivors Stories film while we are changing out the gallery. This work is likely to start in April and be completed by the end of June.

There’ll be some other displays and exhibitions that pop up during the year, along with favourite activities, such as our Drop-In-Zone, activity trails, Sunday Cinema, film festivals and more. It promises to be a year of progress, light and colour and we look forward to welcoming you into your museum.

Published in the Hawke’s Bay Today newspaper on 6 January 2024 and written by Laura Vodanovich, Director at MTG Hawke’s Bay.

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.

Museum pays tribute to sculptor Paul Dibble

The Gold of the Kowhai, Paul Dibble, 2014 [2014/46] gifted by the MTG Foundation

Last week we were saddened to hear about the passing of Paul Dibble. Dibble, based in Palmerston North, was a powerhouse in the New Zealand sculpture world and his works grace many cities around the country. Thanks to the work of the MTG Foundation there are two of his works in the MTG collection – both permanently on display. One, The Gold of the Kowhai, was purchased in 2014 and can be viewed across from the entry to MTG Hawke’s Bay and in front of the Masonic Hotel. A second work, The Garden, is situated in Havelock North by the i-site building. Both are displays of artistic talent and philanthropy coming together to enrich the community. We, like many, mourn the passing of Dibble.

Completely coincidentally, we also held a function last week to celebrate the exhibition Paintings and Other Works, which shares a taste of the amazing collection of works acquired by the MTG Foundation over the last 10 years. Contemporary and mid-century works sit cheek by jowl in this exhibition, with some beautiful and stunning juxtapositions along with complimentary elements highlighting colour, style, content, etc. This is a showing of a rich range of art all brought together by the generosity and passion of the MTG Foundation and its members. We’re incredibly grateful for their continued energy and support.

Some works purchased by the MTG Foundation are not included in the display as they are already earmarked for other exhibitions. One such exhibition will use the art and archive collection to tell some of the history of Te Matau-a-Māui. It will include two fairly recent acquisitions made by the MTG Foundation. 

Meanwhile work is seriously underway on the building project in Hastings. This new facility will provide a permanent safe and appropriate home to store our collection, including artworks, when they are not on display at MTG. Those who have driven past will see that demolition work is all but completed and we are now left with a shell – pillars and a roof. We’ve even had the first of many concrete pours this week, which will form the foundations of the ‘darkhouse’ the collection store area. It’s hard to envision, looking at it today, the facility that it will become, but such an exciting prospect.

Staff at MTG have a lot of work ahead of them preparing the collection to move. So, while the building progresses, so will the preparation of the collection. To have the collection ready for the big move we do have to stop our normal services – this means enquiries, visits to the collection and accepting acquisitions are all impacted in the short term. We acknowledge this will impact people who expect the normal level of access to the collection but we hope you will appreciate that this is for the greater long term good.

Having permanent fit-for-purpose storage for the collection, away from the tsunami zone, with the right environment and space for researchers and visitors has been the dream for a long time and it is finally within reach. We aim to have the new facility up and running by the end of 2025. We look forward to welcoming you then.

Published in the Hawke’s Bay Today newspaper on 16 December 2023 and written by Laura Vodanovich, Director at MTG Hawke’s Bay.

Preparing for a busy summer

To prepare for the influx of visitors MTG has been stocking the museum shop with items
to tempt visitors from overseas and locals alike.

With the arrival of cruise ship season we’re looking forward to a busy time for MTG Hawke’s Bay and the region. After two years of Covid-19, followed by cyclone Gabrielle, Te Matau-a-Māui deserves a good summer! With the first of the large cruise ships arriving on Wednesday we’re hoping it will bring much needed benefit for all. It’s always lovely to see the streets full with the buzz of many people enjoying this beautiful part of the country.

To prepare for the influx of visitors we’ve been stocking our museum shop with items to tempt visitors from overseas and locals alike. Our retail space is stocked to the brim with great options for christmas gifts and stocking stuffers so come in and have a look at what we have on offer.

Last week we opened a display of photography work completed by EIT students who have been based at MTG following Cyclone Gabrielle. These students are level 6, so halfway through their studies for a design qualification. It was a pleasure having these students at MTG and, while they’ve had to compromise on the space available to them, they worked diligently with good grace in their somewhat constrained temporary home. The work they’ve produced is on display close to the entry to Napier library. While this is a display of photography work from the students there is also a delightful 3D miniature scene that was created on display. While we had to give up some space and undergo constrain ourselves, I do miss having the students and all their creative energy around the place. We invite you to visit and see some of their work while it’s on display.

2023 has seen multiple groups making MTG their home for one reason or another. Napier library has been with us for a number of years now and, while work is underway on creating the new library, they’ll be with us for a while yet. EIT students from design and performance found a home at MTG while their campus was devastated following the cyclone. More recently the i-site team have had a base here while rebranding work was happening in their site. They have their last day with us tomorrow, Sunday 19, and will reopen with a new look and feel back in the i-site building on Monday. It’s certainly created some challenges fitting all these people into the building but we’ve been really happy to have them here and pleased to be able to help our community when help is needed.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the team is busy working on the final two exhibitions for the year. Pictures and Other Works celebrates ten years of the MTG Foundation who have raised funds to acquire items for the collection. This exhibition features a sampling of the 87 works acquired over the years by this group, who continue to support the museum and grow the collection for the benefit of the region. Pictures and Other Works opens to the public on Saturday 25 November. Pūrākau ō Te Whenua will share stories behind some of the place names in Te Matau-a-Māui. Some stories may be familiar to you – others less so. This exhibition will open to the public just before Christmas. Why not come in over your summer break and learn about the whenua on which we stand.

Published in the Hawke’s Bay Today newspaper on 18 November 2023 and written by Laura Vodanovich, Director at MTG Hawke’s Bay.