Te Papa celebrates 5th birthday

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa celebrates its 5th birthday this weekend with a number of events at the national museum.

Associate Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Judith Tizard congratulates those who have been involved in launching and running Te Papa from its inception through to its landmark 5th birthday.

“Te Papa was the world’s biggest museum project of the 1990s. The project began in 1993 and was delivered on time and on budget and opened to the public on 14 February 1998.

“Since then, approximately 7.38 million visits have been made to the museum, including 5 million from New Zealanders, and 2.38 million from international visitors,” said Judith Tizard.

“Te Papa has gone from strength to strength, and has continued to develop and redevelop in response to its popularity with both New Zealanders and visitors to New Zealand.”

As a result of increased funding from the government, Te Papa opened 1500 square metres of new gallery space in October 2001 in a $4.7 million project allowing Te Papa to show more contemporary and historical art.

“The new galleries enable New Zealanders and international visitors to see more of Te Papa’s art collections, including New Zealand art. In addition, the museum has held wildly successful exhibitions, including the Body Odyssey and Versace displays.”

Judith Tizard said she was delighted with the huge success of The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy: The Exhibition. Visitors to the exhibition have averaged 2,145 each day and it has been extended by a month by special arrangement with New Line Cinema. Te Papa developed this exhibition with the assistance of the government’s Lord of the Rings leveraging fund and it will travel the world once it closes in New Zealand on 30th March.

“I wish Te Papa a very happy 5th birthday, and I look forward to many more years of successful, innovative, engaging and exciting explorations into Maori and New Zealand’s culture and history, into sciences, the arts, and much more.“

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