Wrapping Up Whitireia Visual Art

Celebrating resilience and honouring dedication.

Thirty-five years ago, craft design courses were established in polytechnics throughout Aotearoa. They nurtured creative practice and produced communities of working artists, with some graduates going on to become significant contributors to their fields. Over the years, these courses have slowly disappeared due to unsustainable financial returns. And at the end of this year, Whitireia’s programme—one of the last surviving—will also come to a close. However, Creative Technologies programmes at Te Auaha are going strong and still contain visual arts practices including photography and printmaking.

Investing in culture takes pride and vision. But a steady stream of graduates guarantees diversity and fosters a range of perspectives that challenge, inspire and shape identity. This exhibition pays homage to this legacy, with a selection of active practitioners who graduated from Whitireia's arts programmes.