Museum a finalist in major awards
7 May 2019
Four historic objects significant to the Waipā district, have secured the Te Awamutu Museum a finalists spot in the prestigious New Zealand Museum Awards.
Selected in the best new product category, the nomination recognises the museum's new line of merchandise, created to showcase key collection items; the Te Hokioi printing press, Queen Victoria lithograph, a trio of kete muka and a trio of pounamu hei tiki.
The range includes neo skin notebooks, reusable tote bags, keyrings and badges embossed with designs of each object created in-house by exhibitions co-ordinator Henriata Nicholas.
Museum director Anne Blyth said it was an honour for the museum to be selected.
It is very exciting for us. It recognises the work we are doing to promote Waipā's heritage and shows us that, even though we are a small museum, we are doing great things within the sector.
Each of the four collection items play an important role in our history and this range makes that history more accessible to the community.
The museum joins 35 other finalists in the 10 categories including major institutions like Auckland War Memorial Museum and Te Papa.
It is the museum's fourth nomination since the annual awards began in 2008. It was last selected as a finalist in 2016 for its home-grown school holiday programme, Dig It, designed to teach children about archaeology.
This year's awards will be held on Wednesday 22 May, at Te Papa in Wellington.