2019 media releases

New Chief Executive Courtney Johnston will lead Te Papa into a new era

Fri 13 Dec 2019

Courtney Johnston has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of Te Papa. Ms Johnston will take up the role in December 2019.

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A black leather gang jacket with the word 'Toa Aotearoa' on it

‘Once Were Warriors’ jacket helps show how Te Papa collects, and why

Thu 12 Dec 2019

A gang patch jacket from the 1994 film Once Were Warriors will feature in Kei te Kairauhī: 21 ngā Taonga | Curators’ Choice: 21 Things; a mini exhibition exploring how and why Te Papa curators collect.

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People look at a Queen of Hearts costume

“Spectacular” Wonderland exhibition opens at Te Papa

Fri 6 Dec 2019

Te Papa’s summer blockbuster exhibition Wonderland opens to the public tomorrow and runs until 8 March 2020.

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William Hodges, Waterfall in Dusky Bay with Maori canoe, 1776, oil on panel. Purchased 2019 with assistance from Lottery Grants Board, Tuia Encounters – 250 Fund. Te Papa (2019-0003-1)

Te Papa exhibits painting of peaceful encounter from Cook’s second voyage

Fri 1 Nov 2019

The oldest European painting of Aotearoa New Zealand in Te Papa’s collection will go in display in Toi Art, Te Papa’s art gallery, as part of Tamatea: He Tūtakinga Tuku Iho | Legacies of Encounter. The exhibition opens on Saturday 9 November.

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Powerful photographs of Sāmoan tattooing on show at Te Papa

Wed 16 Oct 2019

An exhibition opening in Te Papa’s Toi Art in November gives an intimate insight into the unique cultural practice of Sāmoan tattooing.

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Geraint Martin to step down as Te Papa’s Chief Executive

Mon 9 Sep 2019

Te Papa’s Chief Executive Geraint Martin announced today he will step down from the role at the end of the year.

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Low shot of Te Papa from the harbour, which dominates the bottom half of the image, with a boat on the right-hand side

Measles announcement for Te Papa

Fri 6 Sep 2019

A visitor to Te Papa between 11am and 1pm on Saturday 31st August had measles.

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Two women in a painting store room look at a painting on display on a table

Te Papa to open a major Rita Angus exhibition at London’s Royal Academy of Arts

Wed 4 Sep 2019

Around 70 works by one of New Zealand’s most important 20th-century artists, Rita Angus (1908–1970), will be exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in London in October 2020.

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Te Papa celebrates the centenary of Colin McCahon’s birth

Fri 23 Aug 2019

Nine of Colin McCahon’s most important works will be hung in Te Papa´s Toi Art galleries this August, coinciding with the centenary of the artist’s birth.

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A visitor trying to capture the scale of a colourful artwork

Te Papa’s Toi Art opens multi-sensory, kinetic installation

Mon 12 Aug 2019

A new immersive art exhibition has opened at Te Papa. The installation, ‘Finale: Bouquet’, by Australian artist Nike Savvas is a major new site specific commission for the Toi Art Threshold Gallery on Level 4.

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‘Wonderland’ exhibition brings Alice to Te Papa

Mon 22 Jul 2019

Venture down the rabbit hole at this summer’s immersive exhibition Wonderland, which opens on 7 Dec 2019 and runs until 8 Mar 2020.

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Dame Fran Wilde appointed as Chair of Te Papa’s board

Wed 3 Jul 2019

Dame Fran Wilde will chair the board of Te Papa from 1 July 2019. Dame Fran has been a member of the board since 2015 and its Deputy Chair since January 2019.

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Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Te Puru o Tāmaki Taikura, Taikura Kapa Haka, 2018. Te Papa

Popular Matariki ritual returns to Te Papa for two nights

Wed 12 Jun 2019

Matariki at Te Papa includes a special performance from the NZSO, the iconic annual kapa haka competition, and the museum’s newly-created Matariki community ritual.

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Te Kōhanga | Nest Looking at moa egg 2019. Te Papa

Increased funding for Te Papa in Budget 2019

Thu 30 May 2019

Te Papa’s baseline funding from the Crown has been increased by $12.5m a year in this year’s Budget, to support ongoing maintenance of the museum’s buildings, and refresh of exhibitions.

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Visitors look at the colossal squid in Te Papa’s fish research facility

Appointment made to Assistant Curator role

Wed 29 May 2019

Te Papa has appointed Andrew Stewart to the role of Assistant Curator, vertebrates.

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Te Papa art exhibitions focus on New Zealand in the 1960s and 70s

Tue 28 May 2019

Two exhibitions at Te Papa this winter take viewers back to an era of radical change in ‘New Zealand: The New Photography – Life in the 60s and 70s’ and ‘Gordon Walters: New Vision’.

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Students and teachers work at a desk full of computers

Museum learning brings tech to life in Te Papa’s Raranga Matihiko programme

Mon 27 May 2019

A programme combining museum treasures with high tech is proving a hit with children across New Zealand.

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Te Papa acquires extremely rare historical painting from Captain Cook’s 1772-75 Pacific voyage

Mon 20 May 2019

Te Papa announced today it has purchased William Hodges’ ‘Waterfall in Dusky Bay with Maori canoe’ for New Zealand’s national art collection.

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Te Taiao | Nature exhibition a new benchmark for a new generation

Thu 9 May 2019

A dawn blessing was held today for Te Papa’s ground-breaking new exhibition zone, Te Taiao | Nature. Iwi from around the country blessed the exhibition, acknowledging taonga connected to their rohe.

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Repatriation ceremony at Te Papa, 2019. Photo by Jeff McEwan. Te Papa

Sacred ancestral remains return from Germany and The Netherlands

Mon 6 May 2019

On Sunday 5 May, Te Papa held a private pōwhiri (welcome) to mark the return home of 121 Māori and Moriori ancestral remains from Germany and The Netherlands.

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Banners advertising the Terracotta Warriors exhibition hang above the Te Papa entrance foyer

Terracotta Warriors exhibition doubles visitor target at Te Papa

Wed 24 Apr 2019

Te Papa’s exhibition ‘Terracotta Warriors: Guardians of Immortality’ has attracted twice as many visitors as originally planned, with 198,021 people having seen the exhibition since it opened on 15 December.

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A poppy left by a visitor to Gallipoli: The scale of our war which reads: “For all the soldiers who died, whatever side.” Photo by Jack Fisher. Te Papa

Te Papa extends Gallipoli exhibition to Anzac Day 2022

Wed 24 Apr 2019

Te Papa announced today that its ground-breaking exhibition Gallipoli: The scale of our war will remain at the museum for at least three more years, and will not close before Anzac Day, 25 Apr 2022.

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te-hau-ki-turanga-2015.-photograph-by-kate-whitley_0.jpg

Spotlight on the world’s oldest surviving whare whakairo, Te Hau ki Tūranga

Mon 25 Mar 2019

Iwi from around the country will gather in Tūranganui-ā-Kiwa | Gisborne this week to share kaupapa of kaitiakitanga (guardianship) at the Tūhonohono conference.

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Curious Creatures After Dark, 2018. Photo by Jo Moore. Te Papa (124044)

‘Art for everyone’ breaks records at Te Papa

Mon 25 Mar 2019

Having surpassed its visitor target of 350,000 visitors in its first year, Te Papa’s new art gallery Toi Art has welcomed 670,346 visitors since opening in March 2018.

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Te Papa confirms future of world-class fish collection

Wed 27 Feb 2019

Te Papa has assured fish researchers that its world-class fish collection is well positioned for the future.

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Opening date announced for Te Papa’s ground-breaking nature zone

Mon 18 Feb 2019

The biggest change to Te Papa since the museum opened will be unveiled to the public on 11 May 2019.

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