Laura Vodanovich: Enriching the exhibitions

Laura Vodanovich

Working collaboratively with communities always produces a richer result and experience - both for the community involved and for visitors to the museum. Our current Bringing China Home exhibition is the result of recent collaboration with the academic community. Dr Richard Bullen and Associate Professor James Beattie worked closely with the Chinese community and the team here at MTG Hawke's Bay Museum in completing their research for this exhibition.

We're working on a number of exhibitions involving different sectors of the community. One programme planned for display in October this year, in time for Diwali, will be a product of collaboration and engagement with the Indian community. A contemporary art installation and a display of objects from our collection will combine to provide a vibrant and engaging experience.

Tryphena Cracknell, Curator Taonga Maori, is working on her upcoming exhibition He Manu Tioriori, to be open during the Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Festival in Hawke's Bay February 2017. This exhibition looks at Maori singers, songwriters, musicians, etc from Hawke's Bay. I think it may surprise many to discover the rich variety of talent that has been produced from this region. Many members of the community have come forward with information, objects and leads which will all go into the fabric of the final display.

Two exhibitions involving the Hawke's Bay arts community are also under way; one on sculpture and one of Maori art in collaboration with Iwi Toi Kahungunu Arts Collective. Both these exhibitions are working on a combination of existing and new artworks created for the exhibition. The sculpture exhibition will replace Lalique and opens in October this year. Also to coincide with Te Matatini festival, the exhibition of Maori art will open in February 2017.

We have ongoing collaboration with the art deco community. This year an exhibition of photographs featuring art deco houses throughout Hawke's Bay will go on display in September.

Alongside the photographs we've sourced a contemporary art deco dolls house that's been created with love and much attention to detail, and is something we think will delight visitors young and old. Thanks to generosity from the community we also have video footage inside local art deco homes.

We need some more help though - in this exhibition there's one house that we don't have an address for. We're hoping someone reading this article may be able to help us identify the location of this home.

This is just a small selection of upcoming exhibitions involving engagement and collaboration with our community. It's always a pleasure to work with different groups, develop new relationships, gain deeper understanding and jointly create an experience for our audiences.

We also work with the community in other ways. Next week two of our curators are meeting with a group to look at historic photographs and provide advice and guidance on how best to care for these. We regularly give talks to a wide variety of groups, collaborate with teachers on new education programmes, assist with tertiary internships and work experience, and so on.

One of the real pleasures of this industry is the opportunity to meet with a broad range of people and engage on a varied number of subjects. We hope that as we do so, our community enjoys the resulting richness of exhibitions and public programmes at the museum.

¦The Family Jewels an exhibition of jewellery by Warwick Freeman opens today
Taonga puoro jam session, Sunday August 7 2-3pm.¦New Zealand International Film Festival tickets available for purchase from Friday August 5

Laura Vodanovich is the director of the Museum Theatre Gallery (MTG) Hawke's Bay.