Exhibitions

Our Main Gallery                      

Billy McQueen: Father Ghost and Other Paintings 

The current exhibition features paintings by Māori artist Billy McQueen belonging to what he calls the ‘Kāingaroa Series’. Completed between 2014 and 2018, they are based on photographs that McQueen discovered on the website of the Fletcher Trust Archives, a rich collection of material that documents the business history of the Fletcher group.
At the time, McQueen was completing a Master of Fine Art at the Elam School of Art in Auckland. These paintings allowed him to reflect on his own family history in the small town of Iwitahi (a settlement in the Kāingaroa Forest that no longer exists), and particularly the life of his father, Cameron McQueen, who was involved in the forestry industry and died when Billy was a teenager. 

A Day In The Life Of Kawerau

At 16-18 Jellicoe Court we are displaying in the windows material relating to A Day In The Life Of Kawerau. Like the title says, the exhibition features scenes of life in our town over 24 hours, but the twist is that each moment comes from a different year. A night shift in the 1950s turns up next to a morning classroom of kids in the 1990s; afternoon sports in the 1970s is followed by amateur theatre from the 1980s. If you get the chance, stop by in the evening, when the lighting effects will be shown to best advantage. Visiting our exhibitions is free. Thank you to members of the local community who have provided enormous support in developing these exhibitions for our visitors. For more information please contact museum@kaweraudc.govt.nz