Kids & Whānau Create

Get creative with your whānau at our free drop-in art-making sessions every weekend and during school holidays from 11am–3pm.

From 5th–27th July: Abstract Art

Abstract? What is That?

Have you ever looked at artwork and thought: What is that? Abstract art can be like that! Instead of illustrating something real, abstract artworks use lines, shapes and colours to express feelings or ideas. Head to the Kids & Whānau Create area in Te Ātea | North Atrium to make your own abstract masterpiece. Make a stamp that has simple shapes and lines on it. Use your stamp and the other stamps provided to make your own art.

 

From 2nd–31st August: Beaded Eels

He manawa piharau
A heart of an eel

This whakataukī (proverb) refers to an eel’s determination and endurance to swim upriver against the odds.

Brett Graham’s powerful sculpture, Wastelands, 2024, which you can see on the Ground Floor, depicts a pātaka (storehouse) covered in tuna (eels).

Make sure to visit this stunning artwork before making your way to the Kids & Whānau Create area in Te Ātea│ North Atrium. There, you can make your own tuna taonga (treasure), using wooden beads to recreate the whakairo (patterns) seen on Graham’s sculpture. Keep this taonga safe to remind you of the value of these beautiful creatures and their habitats.