Learning Specialist Martin Langdon shares insights into an artist and school project resulting in a new artwork now displayed in PlaNet Pasifika in Tangata o Le Moana on Level 4. He talks about ‘Āiga and the mahi involved from teachers, artists, tauira, and many Te Papa teams. The fabric ofRead more
Many of the treasures in the National Art Collection have come into the museum as generous gifts – from collectors, artists, their families, and the public. To mark Te Papa Foundation’s Annual Appeal, Curator Modern Art Lizzie Bisley looks here at some of the wonderful artworks and collections that haveRead more
Humanities technician Cassandra Bahr has been working in the Collected Archives at Te Papa, cataloguing and rehousing papers from people connected to Te Papa’s collecting areas. Here, she highlights the archives of scientific illustrator and orchid specialist Bruce Irwin (1921–2012). James Bruce Irwin was born in Whanganui in 1921. AsRead more
Brooklyn-Grace Folesi recently finished an internship at Te Papa, as part of her Art History honours year. During the internship, she catalogued a recent acquisition of work by Czech artist Gertrud Kauders (1883–1942). Here, Brooklyn reflects on Kauders’ artistic practice, considering the connections between her life and work, and thatRead more
Humanities Technician Cassandra Bahr has been working in the Collected Archives at Te Papa, cataloguing and rehousing papers from people connected to Te Papa’s collecting areas. Here, she highlights parts of the archives held at Te Papa of the sculptor John Edgar. Edgar was committed to being a full-time artist. He maintainedRead more
Kia haere mai, te atakura, he tio, he huka, he hauunga Let the red-tipped dawn come with the sharpened air, a touch of frost and the promise of a glorious day… In May this year, leading Māori artist Fred Graham was lost to us. He was a central figure inRead more
As part of their coursework in COMD211 Tuhi Pikitia I Drawing I, Te Herenga Waka University students recently had the unique opportunity to visit Te Papa for a session led by Curator Art Lizzie Bisley, focused on the rich history of animal illustration. Held in an intimate reading room, the visitRead more
Art history research assistant Amy Holtman has helped rediscover her extensive work on An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. The discovery adds another layer to our understanding of Adams’ contributions to Aotearoa New Zealand’s culture and renews our awareness of her impact on our cultural heritage.Read more
Nancy Adams was one of New Zealand’s most prolific botanists and a talented artist. She made substantial contributions to Te Papa’s herbarium collection and produced a vast number of botanical illustrations, which were included in widely distributed and well-regarded books about New Zealand flora. As part of their summer research, Lucia Adams and Margo Montes de Oca spent some time looking through several of Nancy’s field guides which were published as part of the ‘Mobil New Zealand Nature Series’ – in particular, Mountain Flowers in New Zealand (1980) and New Zealand Native Trees (1967). You may recognise these books – they are beautiful, helpful and accessible guides to plants in the New Zealand bush.Read more
Nancy Adams was a key player in the early decades of the Dominion Museum (predecessor to Te Papa), making substantial curatorial contributions to collections spanning from colonial history to botany and producing illustrations, now a valuable part of the Te Papa Art collection. As Lucia Adams and Margo Montes de Oca discovered during their summer research this year, traces of her influence and curatorial eye can be found not only in Te Papa’s archives but also in the outside world, specifically in the gardens by the old Dominion Museum building in Buckle Street.Read more
Te Papa is home to Aotearoa New Zealand’s national art collection, which includes work by pioneering artists such as William Hodgkins, John Gully, and Grace Joel. As only a small portion of the collection can ever be on display at one time, a new project from Te Papa Store canRead more
This September, students from Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Design Innovation visited Te Papa to learn about animal illustration. Art curators Rebecca Rice and Lizzie Bisley showed them a group of artworks from across the collection. Starting with Albrecht Dürer’s 1505 engraving The large horse, the works ranged from the 16th to 20th centuries, showcasing a huge variety of styles, techniques, and approaches to representing animals. After looking at these works, the students drew their own animal illustrations in Te Papa’s Te Taiao | Nature space. Curator Art Lizzie Bisley discusses how it went.Read more
Since the end of July, Pātū Toi ǀ Art Wall in Toi Art on Level 4, is where visitors can choose their favourite from 457 artworks in the national art collection. They can post a comment about why they love it, then see it projected on the wall at aRead more
The Manumea, or tooth-billed pigeon (Didunculus strigirostris), is an endemic bird of Sāmoa, currently on the brink of extinction. How can museums help to protect this national treasure? In this blog, Research Assistant Annika Sung examines how Te Papa’s collections can teach us about the Manumea and its entwined relationship to various aspects of Sāmoan life and culture.Read more
In 2021, with the Te Papa Foundation’s support, Te Papa acquired a rare book of tapa cloth samples, one of many assembled by Alexander Shaw in 1787. At the wānanga in 2023, artists were given the opportunity to respond to the Shaw book and exchange knowledge between tapa experts from acrossRead more
