More entries and new categories make awards choices hard

2 May 2019

More entries and new categories make choices difficult for ServiceIQ NZ Museum Awards judges

Finalists have been selected for the ServiceIQ NZ Museum Awards 2019. Judging this year was especially hard with so many high quality entries to choose from.

The judging panels made particular note of the high number and quality of entries in both the Exhibition Excellence Taonga Māori and Kia Toi Te Reo Most Innovative use of Te Reo Māori categories.

Museums Aotearoa Executive Director Phillipa Tocker said, ‘We are delighted to see more and more entries coming in each year to the Taonga Māori and Kia Toi Te Reo categories. There has been a small increase to these categories year on year but this year our judges had far more entries than usual to work through.’

Another category that proved to be very popular was the new Most Innovative Education Programme category which was also inundated with entries indicating that our museums and galleries see the huge importance and benefit of good quality education programmes.

‘Education is one of the core purposes of art galleries and museums so we felt that a category that recognises innovation in this area was essential to give recognition to the great work being done in education right across the sector,’ said Phillipa Tocker.

Twelve awards will be presented at a ceremony to be held at Te Papa on Wednesday 22 May.

‘The outstanding calibre of entrants received across all categories is a hugely positive indication of the strength of our sector. The quality of projects and programmes presented in the groups of finalists is a testament to the innovation, resourcefulness and vision of museums and galleries across the country.’ said Riah King-Wall, Strategic Lead: Creative Industries and Arts, Whanganui and Partners, who sat on the judging panel.

The finalists in each of the categories are as follows:

Exhibition Excellence: Art
• City Gallery Wellington for This is New Zealand
• Dunedin Public Art Gallery for New Networks: Contemporary Chinese Art and Yang Yongliang: Artificial Wonderland
• Dunedin Public Art Gallery and Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki for Gordon Walters: New Vision
• Te Papa Tongarewa for He Taua Uku/Terracotta Warriors – Guardians of Immortality
Exhibition Excellence: Science and Technology
• MOTAT for Accelerate: Driving New Zealand
• Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato for Inventors and Innovations: Waikato Bright Sparks
Exhibition Excellence: Social History
• MTG Hawke's Bay Tai Ahuriri for The House of Webb: A Victorian Family’s Journey to Ormondville
• Nelson Provincial Museum Pupuri Taonga o Te Tai Ao for A Century of Saying Cheese: Heritage Photography Rediscovered
• Otago Museum for Things Change: Martin Phillipps and the Chills
• Southland Museum & Art Gallery Niho o te Taniwha for The Dawn Raids: Educate to Liberate
Exhibition Excellence Taonga Māori
• Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira for Te Paki o Matariki: 160 Years of the Kiingitanga
• Central Hawke’s Bay Settlers Museum for Nga Taonga o Tamatea - Te Hokinga Mai
• New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata for John Walsh: A Portrait of Ūawa Tolaga Bay, He Whakaahua o Ūawa
• Tairāwhiti Museum for TaoNgā Pare-Mata: Mangatū Taonga Returned
Kia Toi Te Reo Most Innovative Use of Te Reo Māori
• The Dowse Art Museum for Shannon Te Ao: my life as a tunnel
• Govett-Brewster Art Gallery for Kūreitanga II, IV
• MOTAT for He Whakaritenga Hou: A New Setting
• Tairāwhiti Museum for TaoNgā Pare-Mata: Mangatū Taonga Returned
Most Innovative Education Programme
• Ashburton Museum for A Youth Perspective on Suffrage 125
• MOTAT for STEAM Cells
• Otago Museum for Kia Rapua Science Playground
• Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa for Māra Kai: A Traditional Māori Garden
Most Innovative Public Programme
• Highwic for Til Death Us Do Part: Fifty Years of Vintage Wedding Style
• MOTAT for Night Lights @MOTAT
• MTG Hawke's Bay Tai Ahuriri for George Nuku: Bottled Ocean 2118
• Otago Museum for Space Central
Arts Access Aoteaora Museums Award
• Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki for Access Tours for Pacific Sisters He Toa Tāere: Fashion Activists
• Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira for Accessibility Initiatives
• Govett-Brewster Art Gallery / Len Lye Centre for Sense Art Tours
• Otago Museum for iNDx
Museum Shops Association of Australia and New Zealand Best New Product or Range
• Museums Wellington and Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira for Kate Sheppard Camellia Range
• Te Awamutu Museum for New Product Range
Project Excellence
• Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira for Online Cenotaph / He Pou Aroha: Engaging Communities in Commemoration
• MOTAT for Collection Relocation Project
• Switzers Museum for Switzers Museum Waikaia: 30 Years in the Making
• Wairoa Museum Kōpututanga Taonga o te Wairoa for Kakapa: Re-imagining Wairoa Museum
The Mina McKenzie and ServiceIQ Ambassador 2019 Awards will also be presented to outstanding individuals on the night.

**ENDS**

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