Whangarei Art Museum director Scott Pothan says that an exhibition featuring the work of several photographers is hinged on Northern Advocate photographer John Stone's 30 years of capturing Northland's news on camera.
Among the suite of six exhibitions which opened on Monday, collectively called Photomontage, 'Enquiring Eye', documents and highlights Northland's colour, tragedies, triumphs and traditions caught by Mr Stone during his 30-year local career.
Outside their newspaper context, and removed from the softening effect of newsprint to hard-copy mounted works, the photos take on a more defined relevance of time and place.
Also linking the newspaper with the Photomontage exhibition is The Drummond and Te Wake Collections, featuring selected images from the nationally and regionally significant collection of historic Northland photos.
The Northern Advocate recently handed over the Drummond Te Wake collection to the art museum for long-term loan and curatorship.