Paint the Town

Our new community art exhibition - Paint the Town - is awesome (even if we say so ourselves). We've had contributers aged from just 18 months to over 80! It is a first for the museum and a wonderful way to see the town through the eyes of its residents. We certainly have some very creative people out there! Head Like a Hole as pegs, anybody?

We also have art stations within the museum, and for a gold coin donation visitors can make their own peg person or art canvas, showing their view of Otaki. A great activity for the school holidays. The exhibition is open for the weekend of the Arts Trail, Saturday and Sunday 1-2 October, from 9 am – 5 pm, and after that it will be open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays 10am – 2pm until 29 October.

Hidden Gems - Showing 12 August -10 September 2011

This exhibition showcases recent acquisitions and rarely-seen objects from the Museum’s collections alongside short films by Errol Maffey. Many of these objects and films are being shown publicly for the first time and all give a unique insight into Otaki and its people.

The main exhibition space contains an eclectic mix of objects and artefacts selected from the museum storerooms. There is everything from gaudy glittered postcards, old coins and fine china through to 1960’s dresses, a moa bone and a scale model of the local stone crusher. Just as people tell stories, so do objects. We invite you to look carefully and hear each object speak about its past.

Raised in Island Bay, Errol Maffey moved to Otaki Beach in 2000 to live in the bach built by his grandfather. He was inspired to start recording present-day Otaki after watching a screening of historic films at the Civic Theatre in 2006. These films were the work of the New Zealand Moving Picture Company (Maoriland Films) which was established by Byron Brown and other leading Otaki citizens in the 1920s.

With an eye for the quirky, Errol’s DVD productions delightfully capture the culture of our town and record many of the special events, characters and community organisations that contribute to the rich and growing story of Otaki.
Hidden Gems celebrates the eccentric, the eclectic, the unique and the ordinary things that make our town so special.

Come in and see!

Opening of Te Whakanikoniko Exhibition

Awesome exhibition opening for Te Whakanikoniko - an exhibition of artworks by Te Wananga o Raukawa students and tutors. This town's full of talent! Exhibition on 15 October - 6 November, 2010. Don't miss it!

OTAKI PHOTO COMPETITION

As part our summer exhibition, Otaki Museum is running an exciting competition aimed at capturing the spirit of our place. We are looking for photographs that create a snap shot of Otaki life in 2009.

The goal of this competition is for the Otaki Museum to build a collection of contemporary photographs. The photographs will become a community record, capturing today for tomorrow’s history

The challenge is to try and convey a feeling of what Otaki means, as well as what it looks like. Ask yourself, ‘What is it that makes the place where I live special?’’

All entries will be displayed at the Museum for the duration of the summer exhibition. The “People’s Choice” winner will be announced on Saturday 27 February 2010 at 2pm at the Otaki Museum.

Entry Forms are available at the Museum