The iconic bird sculpture at Te Awamutu Rose Garden designed by Ngāti Korokī Kahukura artist Fred Graham.
An audit of the district’s art has taken place with a view to assessing what is worth keeping and what can be officially removed from Waipā District Council’s collection.
More than 120 paintings, prints, sculptures and photographs were assessed, Waipā Community Services manager Brad Ward told the Service Delivery committee this week.
So too were the district murals and sculptures on display in public areas.
Brad Webb
“The information from this project has been used to create a collection care plan for the individual works, factoring in display, conservation and cleaning needs,” he said.
Once items have been identified as being in poor condition or their ownership is in question, a list will be completed and submitted to the council’s Executive Group.
The Strategic Planning and Policy committee then decides the artwork’s future.
Meanwhile Ward said Te Awamutu Museum Education and Research Centre had settled into its new home in Rickit Road.
Te Awamutu Museum – now closed and moved to Rickit Road.
The museum closed its Roche Street premises overnight in October following a seismic assessment which showed the building was vulnerable in an earthquake.
“Due to climatic conditions, only a limited amount of taonga was able to be relocated to the new site, so staff have created a visually exciting and stimulating education zone throughout the space and rebranded as Education and Research Centre to reflect the offering they can currently provide,” said Ward.
The museum’s collections team removed objects on display at Roche St, completed condition reports and placed them in secure storage.
Rocks, fossils, toys and shells were identified for a new Curioseum display within the new centre.
Visitor numbers are steadily increasing, and schools are returning for programmes.
A selection of the museum’s most popular research books is in Rickit Road so staff can continue to address public enquiries.
Staff also delivered Enriched Local Curriculum programmes in the first three months of the year catering for 83 teachers and 357 students.
Sixty students, who were the first to visit the centre in Rickit Road which was activated for learning, explored the galleries as part of an age-related trail.
Three more groups were to visit the centre, but teacher industrial action resulted in cancellations.
Council’s education facilitator was part of the Integrated Curriculum Studies day at Te Awamutu College when 200 year nine students learnt about the district’s rohe, undertook team building and built connections to their marae, Ward told the committee.
