Bringing together natural materials alongside painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics and weaving, We come from the Earth explores our relationship with the environment with works from the Te Manawa collection.

Artist and teacher Pip Steel has gathered a significant collection of old Japanese rural everyday workwear and household textiles, known today as boro.

Te Whare Pora: a sacred space presents works by artist Maungarongo (Ron) Te Kawa of Ngāti Porou (Aotearoa New Zealand) from the past three years. The exhibition is centered around the core pou (pillars) of his practice: Te Whare Pora, the sacred zone of making; Hineteiwaiwa, the guiding atua (deity) for creativity; and Waipunarangi, the source of ancestral guidance and inspiration.

This exhibition by printmaker, Anthony Davies is part of a series on the war in Ukraine.
Anthony Davies is a master printmaker who has spent time looking at the progression of the Ukraine war. His artwork, using a selection of images from the Internet, presents these events from his own viewpoint. Davies says he felt compelled to undertake this series. He speaks of a sense of injustice as he watches people turned into refugees; “the devastation of ordinary people”.

Join us for an artist talk with master printmaker, Anthony Davies alongside his exhibition WAR - What is it Good For? Anthony Davies will share what it is to be a professional printmaker. His talk will touch on his art school training, modern art schools, the time he has spent working in Aotearoa New Zealand and his work ethic.

Feminine/Abstract is an exhibition that explores abstract painting through the eyes, minds and hands of women. These artists use symbols, techniques and materials to connect with a diverse range of people, revealing a more realistic representation of Aotearoa today.

Blending two distinctive styles, Euan Macleod and Gregory O’Brien’s collaborative paintings reflect the appreciation both artists have for the outdoors, and equally, their shared curiosity about human history, and concerns...

A special opportunity to hear from Sydney based Euan Macleod, and Wellington based Gregory O’Brien on their collaborative exhibition Local Knowledge. Together, these works explore the cross general understanding that grows with the places we live in—particularly in regard to ecological, industrial and social concerns around bodies of water in Otago, Wellington and the Manawatū. 

Join exhibition curator Sian van Dyk and artists Kura Te Waru Rewiri; Peata Larkin; Claudia Jowitt and Miranda Parkers, in an insightful wander through Feminine/Abstract. Bold, unexpected and insightful, this exhibition considers how the lived experiences of women have contributed to their abstract painting practices.

The With Our Hands exhibition showcases unique wearable artworks crafted by members of the Manawatū Spinners and Weavers Guild. 

Discover the secrets of the Sun in Sunlight – Ihi Kōmaru, a science exhibition that will help the whole family understand the forces that sustain life on Earth.

Call Me, Maybe is an exhibition that explores how telephones have changed since they were first introduced to Manawatū, and how our lives have changed with them.