Russell

Showing at the Marie King Gallery

“A Marae for Russell”
Opens: Sunday June 8 
Powhiri: 4.00 pm.  All welcome.
                   
In keeping with Matariki’s celebration of new beginnings the Russell Museum presents an exhibition highlighting the Russell Community’s  journey toward realizing the “long-held dream” (de Bres 2006) of having a marae in Russell. 

“A Marae for Russell” exhibition focuses on the Kororareka Marae Society’s significant twenty year contribution toward fulfilling this objective.  Although the marae itself is not yet fully realized an exciting new initiative is under way which will resolve this.  Held in the Marie King Gallery the exhibition is presented in the form of a Whare Rununga and Marae Atea.  This allows visitors to engage within a simplified marae setting the Kororareka Marae Society’s journey and end goal of a marae as part of the Russell landscape. 

Artefacts featured in the exhibition are from the Russell Museum’s historical collection and include Kororareka Marae Society documentation, Pauline Yearbury panels and historical artefacts from Rewa’s Pa, Kororareka, the site of the new initiative. 

Russell Museum’s Matariki exhibition “A Marae for Russell” documents the achievements, disappointments, controversy and difficulties encountered in establishing a marae in Russell and may be seen as an informative exploration and comment on the continued journey of Maori in the community to practice and share the benefits of their culture.

Pauline Yearbury’s book “Rangi and Papa” which features some of the panels in the “A Marae for Russell” exhibition are available for purchase at the museum. 

And a superb new book “The Carver and the Artist” by Damien Skinner is a wonderful bonus to the Matariki exhibition and limited copies are available at the museum.  For further orders please email us.

Have a look at the Special Exhibitions page to see details of past and future exhibitions planned for the Marie King Gallery.