{"id":134050,"date":"2025-11-14T03:37:07","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T03:37:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/134050\/"},"modified":"2025-11-14T03:37:07","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T03:37:07","slug":"toi-tauranga-art-gallery-reopens-with-new-vision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/134050\/","title":{"rendered":"Toi Tauranga Art Gallery reopens with new vision"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWe\u2019ve championed as much from around the Bay of Plenty as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

The gallery\u2019s redesign has reoriented the entrance to face the city\u2019s emerging cultural precinct. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the library opens next year and the museum in 2028, visitors will be able to move seamlessly between them,\u201d Korohina said. <\/p>\n

\" Acrylic on wood sculptures by Darcy Nicholas in his \u2018\u2018Land of My Ancestors\u2019 exhibition which spans nearly six decades of practice. Photo \/ David Hall<\/p>\n

The revamped layout also includes a creativity centre for school programmes and community workshops, a new exhibition space \u2013 the Meldrum Gallery \u2013 and improved accessibility features such as large-font wall texts, noise-cancelling headphones, and magnifying glasses.<\/p>\n

A caf\u00e9, Breadhead, run by Brent and Kate Beamish, has opened beside the gallery, creating what Korohina called \u201ca much more pleasant experience \u2013 people can spend time in the gallery, have coffee, and return for more\u201d.<\/p>\n

The first exhibition to greet visitors is Whakairo, a large-scale augmented reality installation by Kereama Taepa of Tauranga Moana. Using AR technology, Taepa explores the origins of M\u0101ori carving, inspired by the way larvae burrow through wood. <\/p>\n

\u201cFor our people, carving is about emulating the worm,\u201d Korohina said. \u201cYou\u2019ll see those movements come to life through your phone or one of our devices.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taepa\u2019s work filled the Craigs Investment Partners Gallery (formerly the Atrium), alongside historical and contemporary pieces including Amo, a carving from the 1884 wharenui Tamapahore. Nearby, exhibitions by Matthew Harris, Tyrone Te Waa, and Kaylene Whiskey extended the cultural inheritance and identity.<\/p>\n

\" Toi Tauranga Art Gallery director Sonya Korohina in the Glausiuss Gallery, where the Old Friends exhibition is on show. Photo \/ David Hall.<\/p>\n

Upstairs in the Glausiuss Gallery, Old Friends, curated by Dr Penelope Jackson, revisited Toi Tauranga Art Gallery\u2019s own collection of portraiture. Works by Mark Braunias, Edward Bullmore, Nigel Brown, Vanessa Reed, Robin White, Venetta Miles, Doreen McNeill and Betty Wishart highlighted decades of artistic evolution and personal connection.<\/p>\n

Next door, the new Meldrum Gallery debuted with Glimmer, a contemporary jewellery show featuring Vanessa Arthur, Moniek Schrijer, and Australia\u2019s Meredith Turnbull. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re using it because it\u2019s an intimate space, to show design work,\u201d Korohina said. \u201cAnd in this instance, jewellery.\u201d<\/p>\n

\" The 3000 x 1800 acrylic on canvas work Lepo is by Samoan artist Vaimaila Urale and brings together Polynesian design and the standardised symbols found on computer keyboards. Photo \/ David Hall.<\/p>\n

The long gallery upstairs hosted Pusi Urale, the 87-year-old Samoan painter known for her vibrant pointillist style, combining colourful Samoan patterns with abstract figures.<\/p>\n

Alongside her is her daughter Vaimaila Urale, who reinterprets traditional Samoan patterns using computer keyboard symbols.<\/p>\n

At the far end, Land of My Ancestors by Darcy Nicholas spans nearly six decades of artistic practice, featuring drawings, paintings, carvings, and jewellery exploring M\u0101ori identity, land, and memory.<\/p>\n

\" Acrylic works by Darcy Nicholas in his Land of My Ancestors exhibition which spans nearly six decades of practice. Photo \/ Rosalie Liddle Crawford<\/p>\n

Hidden within the building is Closet History, a whimsical art treasure hunt for children and adults by Tania Lewis-Rickard and Tawhai Rickard. Lightboxes and miniature sculptures were tucked inside the walls, creating what Korohina called \u201cenchanting and curious scenes ready to be discovered.\u201d<\/p>\n

Toi Tauranga closed in October 2023 for renovations that Korohina said could have taken much longer. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really grateful we could reopen after two years,\u201d Korohina said. \u201cIt\u2019s like rediscovering an old friend. When you reacquaint yourself with an old friend, everything\u2019s familiar and some things feel like they\u2019ve changed as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

For locals, the most visible change was the new entrance.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome may be a little disoriented,\u201d she said, \u201cbut the reorientation means the building functions a lot better\u201d.<\/p>\n

\" The Lanu Mamanu \u2013 Colourful Patterns exhibition upstairs at Toi Tauranga Art Gallery has works by mother and daughter Samoan artists Pusi Urale and Vaimaila Urale. Photo \/ David Hall.<\/p>\n

The reopening marked the return of the Bay of Plenty\u2019s only publicly funded regional art gallery, a milestone for a city increasingly known for its creative energy. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got great spaces like The Incubator and Matter Gallery,\u201d Korohina said, \u201cand Toi Tauranga offers another level.\u201d<\/p>\n

Programming at Toi Tauranga spanned 18 to 24 months, designed to balance media, culture, perspectives and artists\u2019 career stages. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe work with a large matrix,\u201d Korohina said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes visitors will find something that challenges them, and sometimes they\u2019ll find something they love. Over time, there\u2019s something for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\" Darcy Nicholas\u2019 exhibition Land of My Ancestors has drawings, paintings, jewellery and carvings spanning nearly six decades of practice. Photo \/ David Hall.<\/p>\n

Accessibility and inclusion were a key focus, with large text, quiet spaces and sensory support. <\/p>\n

Visitors could also listen to exhibition audios online while exploring the galleries, and the new creativity centre offered workshops for all ages.<\/p>\n

Beyond exhibitions, Toi Tauranga would function as a multipurpose event space for special occasions, product launches, and corporate gatherings.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re really excited to reopen,\u201d Korohina said. \u201cWe have a new team, new spaces, and we\u2019ll recalibrate as we go along, to ensure things work well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Toi Tauranga Art Gallery will open seven days a week, 10am to 4pm, except some public holidays.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cWe\u2019ve championed as much from around the Bay of Plenty as possible.\u201d The gallery\u2019s redesign has reoriented the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":134051,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[74,1228,442,498,499,500,17163,501,6741,156,1229,117,111,139,69,2574,1854,1227,17156,701,20563,21732,102,1530],"class_list":{"0":"post-134050","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-after","9":"tag-art","10":"tag-arts","11":"tag-arts-and-design","12":"tag-artsanddesign","13":"tag-artsdesign","14":"tag-closure","15":"tag-design","16":"tag-doors","17":"tag-entertainment","18":"tag-gallery","19":"tag-new","20":"tag-new-zealand","21":"tag-newzealand","22":"tag-nz","23":"tag-reopening","24":"tag-reopens","25":"tag-tauranga","26":"tag-toi","27":"tag-tomorrow","28":"tag-transformation","29":"tag-vision","30":"tag-with","31":"tag-years"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134050","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=134050"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134050\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/134051"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=134050"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=134050"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=134050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}