International Women’s Day – inspiring ‘women’s work’
Our history curators pay homage to women who feature in Te Papa’s collections who have sought to create change through their work.Read more
2017-03-08
Te Papa curators respond to Donald Trump’s refugee ban
In the wake of US President Donald Trump’s order to ban refugees entering the country, cultural institutions across the globe have been vocal in protest. Here Te Papa curators share their thoughts.Read more
2017-02-22
Mysteries of The Phantom wooden shield: Putting together the pieces
Conservator Catherine Williams is investigating one of Te Papa’s recent acquisitions – a painted wooden shield from Papua New Guinea featuring The Phantom – from a conservation perspective, and blogging about it along the way. If you missed her first post, read it here. Uncovering the mysteries of a collectionRead more
2017-02-21
Collaboration in conservation: Deborah Crowe and Kim Fraser’s Dual Outlook
Te Papa’s textile conservator Anne Peranteau runs through the process involved in preparing a much-loved garment for public display. In March, the exhibition When Dreams Turn to Gold: The Benson and Hedges Fashion Design Awards will open at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery (DPAG). The Benson & Hedges event was New Zealand’s premier fashionRead more
2017-02-14
Opinion: More to art collections than meets the eye
An art gallery is a theatre where art takes centre stage. But it is also an archive, a refuge, even a hospital, says Te Papa’s Head of Art Charlotte Davy. A recent story highlighted the art collections held by Councils and the proportion of their art works on public display.Read more
2017-02-07
How people are using Te Papa’s collection images
Te Papa’s rights guru Victoria Leachman runs through some of her favourite recent comments from people downloading images from our Collections Online database.Read more
2017-01-26
Conserving plastics: why you should keep your Barbie in the fridge
Many people believe that plastic items are indestructible and will last forever. But what if you learnt this wasn’t the case? Conservator, Nirmala Balram, gives us an insight into the science of plastic deterioration and how you should look after your prized plastic possessions.Read more
2017-01-18
The treasures of Broadgreen Historic House
Conservator Anne Peranteau visited Broadgreen, an historic house in the Stoke neighborhood, to give some advice on the display and storage of collection items. Anne tells us about some of her favourite items in the Broadgreen collections. Last month I filled my suitcase with my tricks of the trade and headed to Nelson.Read more
2017-01-12
All I want for Christmas is Ngā Toi
All I want for Christmas is … Te Papa’s Hosts present some of this season’s art works in their very own Ngā Toi Christmas wish list! The current season of Ngā Toi has a great variety of artworks, from 300-hundred-year-old dresses and beloved iconic New Zealand paintings to a musicalRead more
2016-12-23
Pukerua Bay School Museum visit the conservation lab
Aurelia, Paddy and Isaac visited Te Papa’s conservation team to find out all about picture framing and paper and painting conservation.Read more
2016-12-22
Opinion: why we should beware of the word ‘traditional’
In 1994, four years before the opening of Te Papa, Samoan novelist and scholar Albert Wendt was an advisor for the planned Pacific exhibitions. He requested that we abandon the use of terms like ‘traditional art’ in our labels and display signage. ‘Traditional means nothing to me!’ he said. AtRead more
2016-12-20
Using paint analysis to find a hidden mural
Conservator Linda Waters, and her colleague Tijana Cvetkovic, have been helping Bronwyn Holloway-Smith of the Mural Search and Recovery Project investigate whether a 1960s mural by Mervyn E Taylor called ‘First Kumara Planting’ ’ is still intact, hidden under white paint in the old Soil Bureau building in Taita.Read more
2016-12-20
A ‘Raphael’ just for you this Christmas
Mark Stocker, Curator International Historical Art, shares a Christmas delight with you: Raphael’s Madonna della Sedia, the Palazzo Pitti original and the Whanganui copy.Read more
2016-12-19
The changing art of tatau: Samoan tattooing
Rebecca Rice and Nina Tonga asked Sean Mallon, Senior Curator Pacific Cultures, some questions about Sāmoan tatau, a form of adornment still practised today.Read more
2016-12-02
On the Te Araroa Trail: Bluff to Ship Cove
It’s that time of year again when people start planning to get into the great outdoors. In particular, it’s the season for walking the Te Araroa Trail, the pathway from Cape Reinga in the North Island to Bluff in the South Island, some 3,000 km. I hiked the South IslandRead more
2016-11-25