TO CELEBRATE Matariki the Whangarei Art Museum presents concurrently with its present Wairua Wai - Spirit of the Water collection show, a further exhibition to showcase the artists of Te Tai Tokerau and the Northern Maori Project of the1950's.

Northland in the 1950's saw a new-wave of creativity spread throughout schools from the Hokianga and the Bay of Islands to the Far North as the experimental Northern Maori Project devised by Gordon Tovey took hold of talented young maori craving for cultural affirmation. Tovey's concept of taking graduate students directly from art schools rather than from teacher training college was radical. Many of these like Selwyn Wilson, Ralph Hotere, Katerina Mataira and Arnold Wilson were also among the first maori arts graduates too. Their inspirational tutoring created the groundwork for an entire contemporary maori art movement - right here in Te Tai Tokerau.
 
Matariki and Maori Modernism will feature a significant Ralph Hotere painting from his Northland Period before leaving to study in Europe. 'Three Vessels' is from a local family collection and has not been shown publically since its purchase in the 1950's.
This historically significant still life study is clearly related to the 'Gourds' painting in the Northland Society of Arts Collection at Reyburn House where Hotere and other artists from the Northern Maori Project such as Arnold Manaaki Wilson and Muru Walters also exhibitedat the time.

The exhibition will also include other related works by Ralph Hotere, Selwyn Ngareata Wilson, Katerina Mataira, Pauline Kahurangi Yearbury, Marilyn Webb, Selwyn Muru, Paratene Matchitt, Shane Cotton, Ross T.Smith and Buck Nin from the art museum collection.

The 1950's-80's was to become a movement now known as the 'Maori Renaissance' tracing its lineage directly to the Tovey Scheme- Northern Maori Project piloted by the Department of Education.

 THROUGHOUT JUNE/MATARIKI MONTH AT THE WHANGAREI ART MUSEUM
    Curated by Scott Pothan
The gifted portrait from London by Susan Wilson of Kuia Rahera Windsor QSM
    Ngati Ranana will also be displayed late June(details to be announced after arrival
    NZ 22th June).

Further information can be obtained by contacting:  Whangarei Art Museum
Phone 430.4240 or email to whangareiartmuseum@wdc.govt.nz