Blog

A series of paper abstractions of Fijian civavonovono at Otara's Fresh Gallery caught the attention of Kolokesa Māhina-Tuai, Associate Curator Pacific. Kolokesa caught up with the artist who created them to discuss how the series came to life.

Australian postdoctoral fellow James Flexner is on a global quest to tell the story of life in the colonial New Hebrides, and recently spent time examining the Museum’s ethnographic collections.

Nephrite jade is found in over 20 countries, but it is associated strongly with two peoples in particular – Chinese and Māori. During Lantern Festival 2014, experts from both cultures discussed this remarkable stone during a special display of collection objects at the Museum.

Waitangi Day means different things to different people. Andrea Stevens talks to Auckland Museum staff born in other parts of the world, to find out what this national day means to them.

For the last seven years the ‘Friday Ladies’ have been volunteering on the costume and textile collection for the Museum’s Applied Arts and Design. All together, the group examined more than 560 boxes and catalogued around 10,000 objects. Associate Curator Finn McCahon-Jones looks back on some of the group’s achievements.

For Auckland Anniversary Day we have delved into our photographic collection, and made a selection of historic black and white images of the early colonial city, regattas and sailing on the Waitematā Harbour.

The V&A’s Selling Dreams exhibition chronicles 100 years of fashion photography—and with it all the glamour, mystery and drama. Auckland Museum talks to WORLD founder Denise L’Estrange-Corbet about the label’s own Eureka moment in the 90s, selling their dream and channelling a vortex of creativity onto the runway.

Letting people see inside our Museum stores and giving others a chance to connect with and gain a better understanding of our taonga collections is all part of the thinking behind our new space Te Awe.

Summer is the season for … giant moa. Or at least it is at Auckland Museum. In preparation for our family holiday programme ‘The Moa and the Mummy’ we’ve been carrying out a photo shoot that brought us unusually close to our towering moa.

As New Zealand celebrates 120 years of women gaining the vote, a letter from suffrage leader Kate Sheppard to fellow campaigner Amey Daldy sheds new light on their crusade and strong bond of friendship.

Images of the beautifully-lit exterior of Auckland’s museum have featured online and in traditional media outlets in recent months. For a select number of significant global, national or community events each year we offer up something special – to reflect the interests of Aucklanders.

Go behind the scenes of our upcoming marine exhibition Moana – My Ocean to see our life size sharks being created in a Miramar workshop.