Hastings City Art Gallery wins prestigious national award

Hastings City Art Gallery wins prestigious national award

Hastings City Art Gallery has won the Most Innovative Use of Te Reo Maori award at the 2014 NZ Museum Awards.

The awards celebrate the best of museum and gallery projects from around the country and were presented in a gala ceremony held at the War Memorial Conference Centre in Napier.

The judges commented that the Hastings City Art Gallery’s entry entitled Te Taniwha had utilised Te Reo Maori in a significant and meaningful way that captured and enhanced the essence of the language and the historical, cultural and spiritual value of the stories, places and people.

Councillor Sandra Hazelhurst says “This award is recognition of the wonderful vision and imagination that is on display every day in the gallery. It is a credit to the staff that they have been acknowledged by the judges for the way in which they have captured the spirit of the category. The gallery staff are all passionate about their work and this is reflected by this award.”

Gallery Acting Director Kath Purchas says “We’re thrilled to have been acknowledged in this way for all the hard work we put into exhibiting Te Taniwha. Our challenge was to portray Joyce Campbell’s photography and historian Richard Niania’s writing in such a way as to honour the story, location, and iwi involved.”

Kath Purchas says “We were aware that we were being entrusted with sharing important information about sacred places and history, so it was a very considered exhibition, right down to the font selection, quote placement and thoughtful catalogue design.”

“We had a lot of positive feedback from visitors to the gallery - they recognised just how special and significant the exhibition was,” Kath Purchas says.

Ends

© Scoop Media