An artist’s brush with Cubism
Dame Louise Henderson was born in Paris at the beginning of La Belle Epoch (The Golden Age) at the turn of the 20th-century.
Cool and Collected
Gateway to Otago’s history
Gateway to Otago’s history
Visitors to Toitu’s exhibition galleries now pass under the outstretched wings of Toroa, the centrepiece of an impressive carved gateway, or waharoa, recently unveiled at the museum.
Science on the high seas
Science on the high seas
Oceans are important. Two exhibitions at Otago Museum explain why.
Hodgkins' travel an inspiration
Hodgkins' travel an inspiration
Last month, the Dunedin Public Art Gallery opened "Frances Hodgkins: European Journeys", an exhibition curated by Mary Kisler and toured by Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki.
A tale of a head
A tale of a head
Almost from the beginning, coins were decorated on their obverse (the "heads" side) with designs, some abstract or geometric, other naturalistic in the form of all manner of animals and insects - about 100 types are now known.
Beyond the pail: suds and slops
Beyond the pail: suds and slops
We take our modern bathroom amenities for granted these days, but you can see how innovative the facilities at Olveston were for the times.
More to see than the sitter
More to see than the sitter
There's a lot going on in the background of the Hocken's photographic collection, writes Jen Anderson.
A varied response to genre
A varied response to genre
The Dunedin Public Art Gallery's new collection show, Style & Substance, looks at the way artists have responded to different genre systems throughout the history of art.
Making her art move
Making her art move
The Dunedin Public Art Gallery has recently acquired two works by Australian artist Rebecca Baumann following her residency and exhibition, "Untitled (exploded view)".
Scottish ties still strong
Scottish ties still strong
When World War 1 broke out in 1914, Scottish organisations all over New Zealand petitioned the government to form a Scottish kilted unit as part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.
Sculpture in kauri gift from McCahons
Sculpture in kauri gift from McCahons
In 1979, the Hocken received an outstanding gift from Colin and Anne McCahon of a 1.8m high kauri sculpture by Invercargill-born artist, ceramist and teacher Alison Duff.
Taxidermist's work recognised
Taxidermist's work recognised
In 1916, Dunedin made international headlines when the SY Aurora, one of Ernest Shackleton's two Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (ITAE) ships, docked at Port Chalmers for repairs.
Hide and seek: NZ lizards
Hide and seek: NZ lizards
While most people know New Zealand to be the land of birds, few are aware that it's also a special place for lizards or mokomoko. There are 63 native species of skink and 43 native species of gecko...
Elevating the mundane
Elevating the mundane
The exhibition World View, presently on display on the ground floor of Dunedin Public Art Gallery, takes a tour through time and place using works from the gallery's permanent collection.
Junk mail: from trash to treasure
Junk mail: from trash to treasure
Most people consign junk mail to the recycling bin without a second thought, but at the Hocken Collections, University of Otago, it is actively collected, carefully organised by year and stored in...
Musical legacy in wood
Musical legacy in wood
Sidney Ignatius Joseph Wolf was said to be the most talented musician in Dunedin in the early years of the 20th century.
Memories are made of this
Memories are made of this
Moving-image art and digital video has become an important part of gallery collections, writes Lucy Hammonds.
Making the feminine form 'sexy'
Making the feminine form 'sexy'
In ancient Greece it took a special artist to portray the goddess of sex, Aphrodite, as a fully naked female, writes Robert Hannah.
Rua's big adventure
Rua's big adventure
The featured costume from Toitu's Material Culture gallery is Rua Wight's Women's Auxiliary Army Corps uniform. A hard-wearing, functional garment that still managed to look stylish.
British works attracted droves
British works attracted droves
It is rare for a blockbuster exhibition to get closer to New Zealand than Melbourne. In 2019, though, art lovers can at least look forward to a feast of works by our most famous expatriate painter,...