Christchurch Art Gallery – Te Puna o Waiwhetū – one of New Zealand’s foremost galleries, widely regarded for its innovative and engaging exhibition programme – is seeking a Pouarataki – Curator Māori. ‘Pouarataki’, a title provided by Ngāi Tahu. refers to a guide/navigator of the oceans and relates to Te Moana Nui a Kiwa, the Pacific Ocean, as the wider context for this role.

Ko Te Puna o Waiwhetū tētahi o ngā whare toi matua o Aotearoa, e mōhiotia whānuitia ana mō te auaha me te hihiri o āna whakaaturanga. Kei te kimi mātou i tētahi Pouarataki. He mea hōmai te ingoa o te ‘Pouarataki’ nā te iwi o Kāi Tahu, ā, e tohu ana taua ingoa i te tū o tēnei tangata hei kaiarataki o ngā waka toi e tere atu ana i ngā wai o Aotearoa me Te Moananui-a-Kiwa.

Christchurch Art Gallery is one of the most significant institutions within New Zealand’s network of galleries and museums. Its exhibitions and publications have won numerous national and international awards. In recent years, the Gallery has worked to increase representation of Māori and Pasifika art and artists, developing our engagement with Māori and Pasifika communities through exhibitions such as Te Wheke: Pathways Across Oceaniaand Te Puna Waiora: The Distinguished Weavers of Te Kāhui Whiritoi.

Ko Te Puna o Waiwhetū tētahi o ngā whare whakahirahira rawa o ngā whare toi me ngā whare taonga o Aotearoa. Kua whakawhiwhia āna whakaaturanga me āna pukapuka ki te huhua o ngā tohu ki Aotearoa, ki rāwāhi anō. I ngā tau tata nei, kua whakapau kaha te Whare Toi ki te whakapiki ake i te nui o ngā mahi nā ngā ringatoi Māori me ērā nō Te Moananui-a-Kiwa. Kua mahi ngātahi hoki mātou ki ngā hapori Māori me ngā iwi o Te Moananui-a-Kiwa hoki e pā ana ki ngā whakaaturanga o Te Wheke: Pathways Across Oceania me Te Puna Waiora: The Distinguished Weavers of Te Kāhui Whiritoi.

Reporting directly to the Lead Curator, the successful candidate will research, develop and deliver innovative and scholarly exhibitions that engage with current national and international ideas and practices in art and contemporary culture and have high audience appeal. They will operate across a wide spectrum of contemporary art practice, while bringing special focus to art by Māori and Pasifika artists, or with special relevance for Māori and Pasifika audiences.

Ka noho te Pouarataki i raro i te marumaru o te Lead Curator, ā, ka rangahau, ka whakawhanake, ka whakatū te kaiwhiwhi tōtika i ngā whakaaturanga whai kounga e ruku ana ki te hōhonutanga o ngā ariā nō Aotearoa, nō rāwāhi anō, e pā ana ki ngā mahi toi me te ao hou. Otirā, ka tino paingia ngā hua o āna mahi e ngā kaitirotiro. Me whānui tonu ngā momo tikanga toi e whāia ana e tēnei tangata, heoi, ko te aronga matua ko ngā ringatoi Māori me ērā nō Te Moananui-a-Kiwa, ko ngā kaupapa motuhake rānei e tino whai pānga ana ki te Māori, ki ngā iwi rānei o Te Moananui-a-Kiwa.

The Curator will work within a highly experienced and professional Curatorial team and with colleagues across the organisation to ensure that Christchurch Art Gallery remains positioned at the leading edge of audience-oriented interpretation, curatorial practice and collection development.

He pūkenga, he rōpū ngaio ngā Kairaupī, ā, ka mahi ngātahi te Pouarataki ki a rātou ko ngā kaimahi o te whare nei ki te whakapūmau i te tū o Te Puna o Waiwhetū hei kaikōkiri o ngā whakamārama e hāngai ana ki te kaitirotiro, o ngā tikanga tiaki taonga tiketike, o te whanaketanga hoki o ngā kohinga taonga.

The successful candidate will bring to the role a real energy and a motivation to explore new directions in curatorial practice. They will contribute a perspective informed by Mātauranga Māori to the curatorial team and wider Gallery. They will be able to demonstrate expertise about art, including Toi Māori, and will be developing a track record of high quality exhibitions, art writing for exhibition catalogues and related publications.

He tangata mātātoa te kaiwhiwhi tōtika, he ngākau hihiri tōna ki te toro atu ki ngā ara hou i te ao toi me ngā mahi tiaki taonga. Ka hāpai ia i te māramatanga o te rōpū tiaki taonga me ngā kaimahi o te Whare Toi ki te ao Māori. Ka kitea tōna mātau ki te ao toi, ki ngā Toi Māori anō, ā, kua whakatū kē ia i ngā whakaaturanga tiketike, kua puta atu hoki āna tuhituhi mō ngā rārangi taonga me ērā tūmomo whakaputanga kōrero.

We are pleased to invite applications for this key gallery position from self-motivated candidates who have excellent interpersonal skills and enjoy working in a team environment.

Kei te tuku atu mātou i tēnei tono mō tēnei tūranga matua i runga i te tōmina nui ki te rongo kōrero i ngā tāngata mātātoa, e mātau ana ki te whakawhitiwhiti kōrero, e ngākaunui ana hoki ki te mahi ngātahi.

Tukuna mai tō tono e mau ana i tō tātai tangata me tētahi reta.

He wāhi Te Puna o Waiwhetū o te Kaunihera o Ōtautahi.

Pēhia te hononga kei raro iho rawa ki te kite i ngā whakamārama mō tēnei tūranga.

He kōrero anō:

Te utu: Ka kōrerohia tēnei take ki te taha o te kaitono tōtika

Applications should include a curriculum vitae and covering letter.

Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū is a unit of Christchurch City Council.

To view the position description and apply please visit cccjobs.co.nz and search listing number 25929

Additional recruitment information:

Hours: Full-time, permanent position

Salary: Will be discussed with the successful applicant

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