About 300 visitors attended opening day events for the exhibition Puhoro ō mua, Puhoro ki tua on Saturday (23 November) at Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato.

It is New Zealand’s most significant Indigenous art exhibition of 2019, showcasing artwork by nearly 100 Indigenous artists from nations across the Pacific and Pacific Rim, including Tahiti, Guam, The Cook Islands, Australia, United States, Canada and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Waikato Museum Director Cherie Meecham welcomed visitors to the opening in the morning saying: “You are about to see a most extraordinary weave of craftsmanship – a visual feast of artworks that tell stories, that celebrate connections and that light the way to a bright future.”

“This exhibition is a jewel that will shine through the summer at Waikato Museum.”

Afternoon events included a curators’ panel and various floor talks.

Waikato Museum has partnered with Te Ātinga, the Maaori Visual Arts Committee of Toi Māori Aotearoa to present the exhibition in association with Puhoro ō mua, Puhoro ki tua, the 9th International Indigenous Artists Gathering at Tuurangawaewae Marae, where more than 120 international Indigenous artists have gathered to make art, exchange arts knowledge, and share their respective art traditions.

The Tuurangawaewae gathering includes symposiums and workshops and is designed to nurture the next generation of indigenous artists by bringing them together with those who are already recognised.

Details of the exhibition and the opening events are available on the Waikato Museum website www.waikatomuseum.co.nz.

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