Late July Newsletter

Halo olgeta ol, Friends,

As we continue our mahi behind the scenes creating and implementing our new website, complete with a fresh modern look and an upgraded membership database, we want to thank you for your patience while our booking system remains limited to bank‑transfer bookings. This project has been months in the making, and your understanding means a great deal as we work toward a brighter, easier‑to‑use website for everyone. In the meantime, our events calendar is unfolding, and we don’t want you to miss out, please continue to contact me here at the office by e-mail or phone and I will arrange your tickets for you.

Peggy Guggenheim: For the Love of Collecting Sunday, August 23

Join distinguished arts educator Charlie Hall, Director of the long‑running John Hall Venice Course and a specialist in Italian art and culture, for an illuminating journey through the extraordinary life of Peggy Guggenheim. With decades of experience lecturing for Christie’s Education, The Serpentine Gallery, Kirker Holidays, and Soho House, Charlie brings a rare blend of scholarship, storytelling, and on‑the‑ground insight from his work in London and Italy.

Peggy Guggenheim famously declared, “I am a museum,” and her life more than lived up to the claim. From opening a pioneering London gallery, to her audacious art‑buying mission in Paris on the eve of war, to her escape to New York with a circle of avant‑garde artists, Guggenheim reshaped the course of modern art. The lecture traces her path to Venice, where her eccentric unfinished palazzo became one of the world’s most iconic collections of twentieth‑century art.

This special event, held in association with the Wellington Art Society, invites you to experience Guggenheim’s remarkable story in the beautiful Soundings Theatre at Te Papa, an ideal setting for a richly visual and engaging exploration of her life and legacy. More Here

Slow Burn: Women and Photography Curator Talk Tuesday, July 28

Lissa Mitchell, Te Papa Curator Historical Documentary (Photography), will share how women and non‑binary artists have shaped photographic practice in Aotearoa, and how slow, thoughtful making can change the way we see. She’ll guide us to look closely at the relationships behind each image, the care in the making, and the ways photography can hold identity, whānau, and place. For our many photography‑loving members, it’s a rare opportunity to view the craft through a curatorial lens. Slow Burn sparks rich conversations about intention, process, and the quiet labour behind an image. As you move through the exhibition, consider which works shift your understanding, where you notice threads of connection, and what “slow creation” might mean in a fast‑moving world.

Museums and National Identity Thursday, August 20

Friends committee member Richard Norman offers an engaging look at how national identities in Central and Eastern Europe have been shaped by centuries of empire, conflict, religion, and reinvention, and how museums and heritage sites help tell these stories. Drawing on his recent journey along the Danube, Richard connects these international examples to the challenges and choices facing Aotearoa’s cultural sector today. With his deep experience in public administration and museum leadership, Richard brings clarity, insight, and a gift for making complex histories come alive. This wide‑ranging illustrated talk promises to leave members inspired and thoughtful about the role museums play in shaping identity.

He Toi Whakairo — Member Preview Friday, August 28

Be among the first to experience He Toi Whakairo, a major new exhibition showcasing seven centuries of Māori carving. With 147 taonga from the 1300s to today, it highlights whakairo as both an ancestral tradition and a continually evolving artform. This member‑exclusive preview offers a rare early look at an exhibition that will run for five years and is a powerful celebration of innovation, skill, and cultural continuity.

For the Love of Letterpress Thursday, September 3

Join Sydney Shep for a behind‑the‑scenes visit to Wai‑te‑ata Press, Victoria University, Kelburn, perfect for anyone fascinated by printing history and machinery. Explore remarkable letterpress technologies, historic presses, and the only working collection of Chinese full‑form heritage type in the southern hemisphere. You’ll see wood and metal type, ingenious equipment, and typographic treasures that reveal the craft’s deep history. With Sydney’s expertise and passion, this richly textured tour offers a rare chance to meet an artisan devoted to the art of printing.

Nancy Adams: Curatorial Floor Talk & Herbarium Visit Wednesday, September 9

Discover the remarkable botanical legacy of Nancy Adams, one of Aotearoa’s most influential botanists and illustrators. Curators Lizzie Bisley and Heidi Meudt will guide you through her life and work, beginning at the lively Nancy Adams: The Art of Seaweed display. You’ll then head behind the scenes to Te Papa’s herbarium to see Adams’ original collections and learn how her dedication to native flora continues to shape our understanding of New Zealand’s botanical heritage.

Beyond the Aperture: The Art of Paying Attention Saturday, September 26

Dr Chris McKeown brings together art, neuroscience, and creative practice to explore what truly motivates artists, and what they hope their work sparks in us. His new project draws on interviews with a wide range of creatives, from carvers and glassblowers to actors, poets, musicians, comedians, and photographers. In Beyond the Aperture: The Art of Paying Attention, Chris invites members into this rich inquiry with his trademark warmth and storytelling. It’s a chance to think differently about how art communicates and connects, guided by a speaker whose passion and insight stay with you long after the session ends.

Touring With Friends of Te Papa

This September, put a richly layered journey on your bucket list; a chance to explore the Waikato in depth, guided by Sir David Moxon and shaped by the stories, landscapes, and communities that define the region.

The Waikato Pilgrimage offers an unusually rich sweep through the region’s history, landscapes, and cultural relationships. Over four days, members will visit sites of early settlement, pivotal locations in the Waikato land wars, and places where Māori and Pākehā histories meet and intertwine. From Pirongia and the Matakitaki Pā to Maungatautari Sanctuary Mountain, Whaingaroa Raglan, and Kaitotehe opposite Taupiri Maunga, the tour blends kōrero with local kaumatua, guided walks through ancient forest, museum visits, and moments of reflection at mission sites and memorials. It’s a journey that brings together archaeology, ecology, bicultural history, and living community knowledge — a rare chance to experience the Waikato through many lenses.

Sir David Moxon, who leads this pilgrimage, is uniquely placed to guide such a tour. A former Archbishop of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia, and later the Anglican representative to the Roman Catholic Church in Rome (2013–2017), he brings decades of scholarship, ecumenical experience, and deep familiarity with the region’s spiritual and social history. His long engagement with Waikato communities, combined with his ability to weave together state, church, and iwi narratives, makes him an exceptional storyteller and guide. For Friends members, travelling with Sir David means gaining insight not only into the events that shaped the region, but also into the relationships, responsibilities, and shared histories that continue to shape Aotearoa today. More Here

As we look ahead to the months to come, we’re reminded how fortunate we are to have a vibrant network of Friends who bring curiosity, generosity, and enthusiasm to every gathering. These events, rich with art, ideas, history, and connection, are a blessing in the midst of busy lives, tempting us to step out, mingle, learn, and be amazed together. Your presence is what makes this community flourish, and we can’t wait to share more inspiring moments with you.

Lukim yu,

Rachael Brenton-Rule - Coordinator

rachael.brenton-rule@tepapa.govt.nz 

friends@tepapa.govt.nz

021 488 787

Celebrating 2026 Pacific Language Weeks with salutations form Vanuatu Bislama.

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Above image: “Peggy Guggenheim sur les marches du pavillon de la Grèce en 1948 (24è Biennale de Venise)” by dalbera is licensed under CC BY 2.0.