December 03, 2015
Massey Maori arts school celebrates 20 years
Massey University’s Toioho ki Apiti Maori visual art programme in Palmerston North is marking its 20th anniversary this weekend.
The celebrations start tonight the Manawatu Art Gallery, which is hosting some of the seven exhibitions put together to showcase work by graduating students, alumni and staff.
There’s a symposium tomorrow where artists where like Cliff Whiting, Sandy Adsett and Marilyn Well, school head Robert Jahnke and others will discuss what has gone before and what matters in contemporary Maori art.
Ngatai Taepa, the school’s director of Maori arts, says Toioho has something unique.
"Because we are based in a Maori studies environment where the students are not only doing the Maori art history papers and practical papers but also the reo, treaty of Waitangi, Maori history papers, the work is coming from very much a cultural perspective, he says.
Ngatai Taepa says the art world appreciates the way Toioho artists present Maori narratives.
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