Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Eclectic exhibition celebrates City of Design

Karen Hughes
Whanganui Midweek·
5 Dec, 2022 06:52 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Opening event guest Sarah Marsh with Katie Brown, whose glass light shades feature in the exhibition. Photo / Karen Hughes / Whanganui Regional Museum

Opening event guest Sarah Marsh with Katie Brown, whose glass light shades feature in the exhibition. Photo / Karen Hughes / Whanganui Regional Museum

The Whanganui Regional Museum is pleased to announce the opening of a major new exhibition, Whanganui Mūmū – Whanganui by Design.

In a formal ceremony attended by about 100 guests, the exhibition was officially opened with speeches from museum director Dr Bronwyn Labrum and mayor of Whanganui, Andrew Tripe. A blessing from kaumātua John Maihi (Tūpoho) followed.

The event was attended by Whanganui artists, designers and makers from past and present, with exhibition contributors and supporters.

The exhibition has been created to celebrate the recent recognition of Whanganui as a UNESCO City of Design. UNESCO is the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. Now part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network of 246 countries, Whanganui is one of only 43 cities in the world with the designation of City of Design, and the only one from New Zealand.

The NZ National Commission for UNESCO and Whanganui & Partners have each provided funding for the development of the exhibition.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Whanganui Mūmū – Whanganui by Design honours the past, present and future of Whanganui design through a selection of taonga and objects designed and made in the Whanganui region. Focusing on the stories, the objects and the people that have long made Whanganui a centre for innovation over more than two centuries, the collection is eclectic and diverse.

The bi-cultural presentation shows how deep the design history roots of this region go and how extensive and dynamic it is. The exhibition aims to surprise, entertain and inspire. Some of the designs featured reflect the close interaction between Māori and settlers in the growing town. Others are everyday objects which means that many items on display will be very familiar to visitors.

Susanna Norris at the exhibition opening event, standing by photographs of herself and her family wearing clothing that was hand-made by her mother, Violet Murial Montgomerie. Photo / Karen Hughes / Whanganui Regional Museum
Susanna Norris at the exhibition opening event, standing by photographs of herself and her family wearing clothing that was hand-made by her mother, Violet Murial Montgomerie. Photo / Karen Hughes / Whanganui Regional Museum

The exhibition has been carefully curated by Dr Bronwyn Labrum.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“The UNESCO City of Design status acknowledges the city’s historic and contemporary contributions to design in innumerable and varied forms. The selected design that we have chosen to showcase, reflects an eclectic and wide-ranging legacy.”

Local company Dalgleish Architects have designed the exhibition space, taking cues from Whanganui’s history, including local advertising and design. Elements of pattern, light and colour from objects in the collection have been used as key elements in the space.

The exhibition will be on display for at least a year.

Bronwyn Labrum is pleased to see many months of planning coming to fruition.

“Whanganui has a substantial, vibrant design heritage that is internationally recognised. We’re delighted to be bringing this exhibition to the community.”

Whanganui Mūmū – Whanganui by Design opened on December 5, at Whanganui Regional Museum located at Pukenamu Queens Park, Watt St, Whanganui. Admission is free.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Premium
OpinionNicky Rennie

Nicky Rennie: Let this be a lesson to you

12 Sep 05:00 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

‘I’ve found a steam train’: Historical locomotive discovered in sand bank

12 Sep 05:00 PM
Premium
OpinionGareth Carter

How to turn a patchy lawn into lush green grass this spring

12 Sep 05:00 PM

Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Premium
Premium
Nicky Rennie: Let this be a lesson to you
OpinionNicky Rennie

Nicky Rennie: Let this be a lesson to you

OPINION: I quickly scanned the room for both my common sense and my intelligence.

12 Sep 05:00 PM
‘I’ve found a steam train’: Historical locomotive discovered in sand bank
Whanganui Chronicle

‘I’ve found a steam train’: Historical locomotive discovered in sand bank

12 Sep 05:00 PM
Premium
Premium
How to turn a patchy lawn into lush green grass this spring
OpinionGareth Carter

How to turn a patchy lawn into lush green grass this spring

12 Sep 05:00 PM


Kiwi campaign keeps on giving
Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP