Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

He wahine toa, he wahine maia, he wahine whai kaha ki ngā tini kaupapa o te whare taonga. Today we celebrate the five-year anniversary of our Tumu Whakarae | Chief Executive Courtney Johnston.    Co-leading Te Papa with Kaihautū Arapata Hakiwai, Courtney is known for her vision, her drive, and her heartfelt care for people. Her office full of plants is a clue to her commitment to our Papatūānuku strategy, and her leadership on artificial intelligence a mark of her avid curiosity. Courtney has navigated the museum through some huge kaupapa, but sometimes it’s the little things that speak the loudest. Whether it’s stopping to help a lost visitor or jumping up to dim the lights so a presenter can shine, her values are seen daily in many small acts of service. Congratulations Courtney and ngā mihi nui for all you do for Te Papa.

We’re just one month away from opening the dazzling Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery exhibition this January 17. Experience the iconic punk designs of Vivienne Westwood like these fabulous Rika sunglasses by Andreas Kronthaler. https://tepapa.nz/Westwood Exhibition created by Vivienne Westwood Westwood and produced by Nomad Exhibitions Rika sunglasses. Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood Spring Summer 2022. Photo supplied by Vivienne Westwood Ltd, 2024 #viviennewestwoodandjewellery

We recently welcomed a significant addition to our national collection, thanks to the family of the late Ans Westra. As well as being a renowned photographer, Westra was an astute art collector, and she collected many works by the Māori Modernist painter, Selwyn Muru. This year, Westra’s family worked with the Te Papa Foundation to gift 14 remarkable Selwyn Muru paintings from her private collection. The collection services team at Te Papa have started working on the paintings, considering the unique needs of each work for eventual display, including assessing the works and placing them in quarantine for several weeks.    A gift like this not only fills an important gap in our collection but also celebrates the powerful connection between two iconic New Zealand artists, as seen in Ans Westra’s iconic photograph of Muru at the Dowse Art Gallery in 1979.

Kotahi tau anō kua hipa. This week marks a year since the Signs of a Nation exhibition panel was spray-painted. It sparked many conversations and led to the installation of a large-scale projection in the panel's place. The projection highlights the difference between te Tiriti in te reo Māori and William Hobson’s 1840 English version, and references the translation by Professor Sir Hugh Kāwharu, which is considered to be closer to the understanding of Māori who signed te Tiriti. There have been more than 193,000 visits to the display this year. In the words of one visitor: “the explanation on different translations of Treaty of Waitangi allowed us to understand more on the history of New Zealand.” Every day we see visitors in conversation in the space, sharing insights and reflecting on Aotearoa New Zealand's founding document. Hīkoi mō te Tiriti is a reminder of how the discussions of te Tiriti here in our whare are part of a vital and ongoing stream of kōrero. Watch the projection: https://lnkd.in/gbiXSd8y

Yesterday morning we blessed Rūaumoko: Restless Land, a new touring exhibition that promotes natural hazard awareness and preparedness. The exhibition uses elements from Te Papa’s Te Taiao | Nature zone and combines cutting-edge science with mātauranga Māori to explore the powerful, natural forces that continuously shape Aotearoa. The exhibition will kick off its nationwide tour on Monday, starting with our friends at Pataka Art + Museum. Developed in partnership with Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake, with support from GNS Science

Yesterday morning we blessed Rūaumoko: Restless Land, a new touring exhibition that promotes natural hazard awareness and preparedness. The exhibition uses elements from Te Papa’s Te Taiao | Nature zone and combines cutting-edge science with mātauranga Māori to explore the powerful, natural forces that continuously shape Aotearoa. The exhibition will kick off its nationwide tour on Monday, starting with our friends at Pataka Art + Museum. Developed in partnership with Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake, with support from GNS Science

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 can help New Zealanders experience the national collection at home.   The Old Masters Collection is something a little different for Te Papa Store. Eleven historic artworks from nine artists have been reimagined into a range of high-quality prints, textiles, and homeware. It is the first time we’ve created a range of merchandise of this scale, and it is also the first time that our own home décor creations will be sold by gift stores around Aotearoa. Every purchase helps to support the mahi of Te Papa.   Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/gE-jKzhd

We’re incredibly proud to have received the first New Zealand food to be sent to space - the Fix & Fogg peanut butter 🥜 Thank you Fix & Fogg for trusting us to care for and preserve this small yet significant contribution to space exploration. What an exciting moment for Aotearoa!

🗣️ Calling all GLAM researchers, practitioners, and industry leaders! The Visitor Research Forum is back on March 7, 2025, at Te Papa, in partnership with the University of Canberra and University of Queensland. It's a great chance to connect, share ideas, and shape the future of the GLAM sector as this year’s theme is: Sites & Screens: Perspectives on Physical and Digital Audiences. If you are interested in giving a presentation on completed or current case studies and research, please send your abstract by 7th February 2025  More information here: https://lnkd.in/gQXAg8Z3

In Te Papa-land, when the plinth marketing goes up, things get very real! ❤️ We are so excited to have the world premiere of the “Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery” exhibition - coming in January! https://lnkd.in/gpX7Y3ak