MTG keeps up its run as finalist in awards

Laura Vodanovich

For five years in a row MTG Hawke's Bay has been a finalist in the Museums Aotearoa Awards.

This year, two exhibitions have made it into the finals, and a third has a special mention.

Museums Aotearoa is the national association for museums and art galleries in New Zealand, so being a finalist (of three or four in each category) is a real honour.

Tuturu is a finalist for the art exhibition excellence award. Two ex-MTG staff members, Dena Bach and Tryphena Cracknell, developed this exhibition in collaboration with Iwi Toi Kahungunu, led by Sandy Adsett.

Showcasing Ngāti Kahungunu artists, this display transformed our Linkway Gallery into a jewel-coloured passage as a backdrop to a range of stunning artworks. I note this week Adsett has been given an honorary doctorate in fine art and congratulate him on this deserved recognition.

Having already won awards for best installation and the overall supreme award in the prestigious Resene Total Colour Awards, this exhibition has already captured national attention.

He Manu Tioriori: Songbirds celebrates and explores 100 years of Ngāti Kahungunu's love affair with music.

The seeds of this exhibition began with Tryphena Cracknell and was finalised by Charles Ropitini.

He Manu Tioriori is a finalist in the Taonga Māori exhibition category.

A third exhibition, Yuki Kihara: Te Taenga Mai o Salome, did not make it into the finals but was given a special mention by the judges in the art category.

Although Tuturu is no longer on display, the other two exhibitions are still available to view – Te Taenga Mai o Salome until June 5 and He Manu Tioriori until July 22.

Having been a finalist (and occasional winner) every year for the past five years is a tremendous achievement.

It certainly shows the team here at MTG, past and present, have the dedication, passion and talents to ensure we remain at the top of our field as a regional museum.

A key feature of many of our projects that have made it as a finalist is the collaborative nature of their development. Working with others creates compelling exhibitions and programmes being noticed and recognised nationally.

The winners will be announced tomorrow, May 20, at Christchurch Art Gallery and we'll be keeping our fingers crossed to see if we win one of the categories.

Regardless of whether we win, I'm proud of the team and hope our community is too.

• The Villani Piano Quartet shares an exciting programme of romantic music. Century Theatre, Sunday, May 20, 4pm. Tickets available from Ticketek

• Chamber Music New Zealand present Bianca Andrew & Stroma. Century Theatre, Thursday, May 24, 7.30pm. Tickets available from Ticketek

• The Music of Leonard Cohen, Century Theatre, Saturday, May 26, 7.30pm. Tickets available from Ticketek

• Laura Vodanovich is the director of the Museum Theatre Gallery (MTG) Hawke's Bay.