Sonya Korohina announced as new Tauranga Art Gallery director

Sonya Korohina.

Sonya Korohina has been appointed the new director of Tauranga Art Gallery.

Korohina (Ngāti Porou/Pākēha) is from Tauranga and has been involved in the city’s creative scene for several years since returning to her hometown 10 years ago.

Tauranga Art Gallery Trust chairwoman Rosemary Protheroe said in an announcement released tonight it was “absolutely thrilled” to welcome Korohina, whose combination of skills, experience, connections and warm personality was “perfect for the gallery”.

“The board look forward to working with her and the wider team, to take [the gallery] to the next level.”

“The Tauranga Art Gallery is a valued asset for Tauranga and is the home of the visual arts within the developing cultural precinct, Te Manawataki o Te Papa. Growing the vibrancy of the city centre and building life-long connections with art is key.”

Korohina has held roles at leading arts institutions Artspace Aotearoa, Auckland Art Gallery, Elam School of Fine Arts, and Toi Ohomai where she developed the creative entrepreneur programme in the bachelor of creative industries.

She is currently the director of Supercut Projects, an arts consultancy renowned for connecting and inspiring audiences through art experiences. She has delivered Tauranga’s City Art Walk app, and art commissions such as Midnight Sun by Sara Hughes, and is presently developing Tauranga City Council’s Public Art framework.

Korohina said she was delighted to be taking the helm of such a vital civic organisation at such a pivotal time the city and wider Bay of Plenty.

“This is such an exciting role. This is my hometown, the arts are my absolute joy, and the significant redevelopment of Tauranga city centre presents so many opportunities for us to be bold and innovative”, she said.

“Toi Tauranga has a special place in the hearts of our community and I’m honoured to be joining the [gallery’s] team at an exciting moment in its history. This is an opportunity to ignite the institution’s identity through art programmes that explore and celebrate who we are as people, place, communities, cultures and histories. Ka rāwe, exciting!”

Korohina will join the gallery’s team in mid-March.