2015 memorable year for Pataka
Pataka has had one of its best and busiest years since it opened in 1998.
Visitor numbers in 2015 have topped 200,000, more than 140,000 of them in the past six months.
The gallery has become the cultural heart of Porirua and has developed a reputation for showcasing the best in contemporary Maori and Pacific art, as well as providing top-class exhibitions in contemporary New Zealand, Asian and international arts and culture.
We Built This City and Made in Porirua were the landmark exhibitions in 2015.
Looking back at Porirua’s last 50 years, the We Built This City exhibition explored the growth of the city since 1965.
The exhibition took visitors on a tour through Porirua, with galleries reflecting the built-up environment of the city centre. Photos, films and projections, maps and plans, objects and interactive elements all helped to engage visitors.
Porirua has been the birthplace of all sorts of things, from chocolate to cars and undies, and Made in Porirua celebrates that fact.
The exhibition, which opened on Porirua’s 50th anniversary weekend in October, looks at the past and present stars of Porirua, how they make what they make and why they make it in Porirua.
With the likes of Todd Motors, Whittaker’s, Kodak and Kapi- Mana News featuring, it was an eye-opening exhibition full of history.
Photos, films and projections, maps and plans, objects and interactive elements all helped to engage visitors.
Another extremely popular exhibition was Porirua Anzacs at Gallipoli.
It honoured the memories of the men and women from the Porirua area who served on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey between April and December 1915.
Some of the stories of the soldiers were emotional and highly personal.
Much of the research was provided by historian Allan Dodson and Porirua RSA.
Other highlights of Pataka’s calendar were Taku Ipukarea’s My Paradise, Purely Pastel, Paul McLachlan’s Home Ground, Imagine Asia: New Zealand artists respond to contemporary Asia, Pataka Friends Art Awards, Johnson Witehira’s Tangiwha, Andrea Gardner’s Refiguring the Picturesque, and the Marvellous Mosaic National Art Exhibition.