Paintings by Annabel Neall explored the layers revealed when land is dissected for the purposes of geological study. The inclusion of soil sections demonstrated the physical layering of the land, and the images reconnoitred the multi-layered explorations of an artist who travelled the world with a husband who is also a geologist.

The art folios from secondary school students around the region that attained an Excellence mark in Level 3 NCEA. Six of the folios displayed had achieved a scholarship.

An exhibition of 241 photographs from the personal collection of Frida Kahlo, curated by the Museo Frida Kahlo, La Casa Azul, Mexico City, and toured internationally. Te Manawa was the only New Zealand venue for this exhibition. The photographs provided insight into the life and art of this celebrated and iconic artist.

Images of the Keith Street Power Station taken by the Applied Photography Group of the Manawatū Camera Club. The photographs offered a glimpse into the machinery of electricity generation in Palmerston North. This historic building is threatened with demolition as it is an earthquake risk.

Paintings by Dunedin-based artist Ewan McDougall, which examined the highs and lows of his life as a party animal and rock and roll drummer.

Fran Dibble was inspired by the works of J. W. Turner and his romantic exploration of human interaction with nature. Likewise the work of Adrian Villar Rojas, who intentionally selected media for the way they would break down while being exhibited. The exhibition sought to convey a sense of the awe and beauty of nature, nature that may destroy but which creates a moving aesthetic spectacle, one that is dynamic and changing.

Creative Journeys members created art in response to works from the Te Manawa collection, which are then displayed alongside them. The Creative Journeys artists will be working in the Gallery 1 space for the duration of the exhibition.

These beautifully realised photographs showed fat people embracing their bodies and defying the negative stereotypes of a society obsessed with idealised images of bodily perfection.

Proudly supported by city partner Fly Palmy, Dinosaur Encounter brought our favourite prehistoric beasts into a modern, in fact Palmerston North, environment. The gallery was transformed into an ‘urban jungle’ and reproductions of skeletons, skulls and fossil remains added breadth to the experience. Developed and brought to Te Manawa – the first and only venue in New Zealand by London’s Natural History Museum, Dinosaur Encounter featured nine moving dinosaur models brought to life by state-of-the-art animatronics, giving visitors a thrilling glimpse at the ‘terrible lizards’ of 70 million years ago.

‘Ata,’ meaning form or reflection in Te Reo Māori, explored connections between light and perception, history and retrospection. Robert Jahnke translated neon forms into diamonds, triangles crosses and clubs, and words such as ‘ATA’ and ‘TUKU’ into spatial reflections that appeared endless.

The installation Ara-i-te-uru (2011) by Israel Birch is a way of portraying the intangible elements of te ao Māori, in this case summoning the ancestral guardian taniwha of the Hokianga harbour, Ara-i-te-uru, in visible form as a river of lacquered steel and light.

From the everyday to the extraordinary, the Te Manawa collection is full of treasures that reflect past and present life in the Manawatū. Nova showcased the stories and people behind selected art, taonga and objects acquired by Te Manawa between 2010 and 2015

For 33 years, Bruce Rennie devoted himself to cultivating art and drama activities at Rangitikei College in Marton. The Generous Heart collected half a lifetime of creative output, from posters announcing the next school production to unique, personalised envelopes and letters sent to friends. It highlighted the joy and energy that comes from encouraging an unabashed love of the arts.

Selected works from the graduates of the UCOL Bachelor of Applied Visual Imaging course. Combining traditional forms like photography and illustration with new directions, such as board games or bacterial cultures – Whakaari Up Out Onward showcased the bold directions a new generation of artists is taking.

An exhibition of work by the graduating students, Bachelor of Māori Visual Arts, Toioho ki Āpiti, Toi Rauwhārangi College of Creative Arts, Massey University.