Past Exhibitions - 2019
Balls, Bullets and Boots
30 March – 20 June
An exhibition that examined the intersection of rugby and World War I through the lives of New Zealand rugby players who served in the armed forces; developed and toured by the New Zealand Rugby Museum. This was its last venue before being decommissioned.
Farewell Zealandia
30 March – 20 June
The forgotten Kiwi songs of World War One tell the story of what it meant to be a New Zealander living through the turmoil and tragedy at the time. Commemorating campaigns and battles as well as life on the home front, Farewell Zealandia is a musical record of people’s hopes and fears, sense of duty, loss and remembrance.
Developed together with Musical Heritage New Zealand, and supported by Radio New Zealand and the Lotteries Commission
Excellence
1 March – 9 June
An exhibition showcasing work that earned Excellence in NCEA Level 3. Design, printmaking, photography and painting portfolios were drawn from artists around the region.
How Green Was My Trevally
9 March – 1 September
John Tarlton is a Californian-born New Zealand artist whose work shows his mastery of artistic techniques, his pervasive sense of humour, and his talent for storytelling.
This exhibition was a survey of twenty years of Tarlton’s output, each piece imbued with a story that led the viewer on a journey of discovery.
Taku P’eu Tupūna
5 April – 28 October
“The culture of my ancestors is also mine.”
Work by the women of Vainetini o Manawatū, creating a distinctive tīvaivai manu tātaura (appliqué and embroidered quilt) and distinctive pare ‘ei (headdresses), combined with taonga from the Te Manawa collection to create an exhibition about community, artistry, and the passing on of skills and stories
Controlled Environment Laboratory
27 July – 28 October
Until its closure in 2013, the National Climate Laboratory, on the old DSIR campus near Massey University, was the home for scientific research into the complex inter-relationships between climate and plant growth. In 2014, artist Melissa Laing entered the building to begin her creative interrogation of its history and legacy.
Through interviews, films, archival material and sculpture, she tells the story of a unique intersection of science, technology and social history in New Zealand, that took place here in the Manawatū.
Colin McCahon: A Centenary Exhibition
27 July – 1 December
To mark the 100th birthday of New Zealand’s most iconic artist on 1 August, Te Manawa created an exhibition of all Colin McCahon works in its collection. Special attention was paid to contextualising and demystifying the artist for audiences familiar with his work but unfamiliar with his practice.
Ngā Kete Toi
14 September – 1 December
This exhibition showcases the work of students, graduates and tutors of the Bachelor of Māori Arts degree in weaving at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, in Palmerston North.
Beyond Closed Doors
1 November – 9 December
An exhibition of works by members of the Womens’ Art Initiative, re-examining perceptions of violence from the point of view of survivors.
Make Me
16 November – 26 January 2020
Selected works by students graduating UCOL’s Bachelor of Creative Media programme.