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Taupō Museum Taupō Museum, sharing Taupō districts stories, art, and culture with the world.

✨🤩SCHOOL HOLIDAYS!🤩✨Joins us at Taupo Museum this Sept/Oct for games, activities, and learning. 🦖📝In addition to our fan...
23/09/2026

✨🤩SCHOOL HOLIDAYS!🤩✨
Joins us at Taupo Museum this Sept/Oct for games, activities, and learning.

🦖📝In addition to our fan-favourite Dino Scavenger Hunt, we are extending our Te Reo Māori Scavenger Hunt by popular demand. Let staff know which you would like to do…or better yet, do both!

🎲🖐️We are hosting some extra activities on Sat 26th and Sun 27th as part of the Digital Detox. Leave the screens at home and enjoy some boardgames, a touch table of artifacts, and all our other fantastic activities.

🪴🧰Jeffrey is running a series of fun workshops both weeks of the holidays, making pumice spiral ornaments. Workshops are $5 per participant, and bookings are essential to secure your place! Workshops are available for Tues 29th Sept, Wed 30th Sept, Thurs 1st Oct, Tues 6 Oct, Wed 7 Oct, and Thurs 8 Oct. Spaces are filling up fast, so phone (07) 376 0414 or email [email protected]. Masks will be provided.

Please Don't Lick the Walls comes to Taupō Museum"After more than 40 years working with clay, I'm still resisting instru...
22/09/2026

Please Don't Lick the Walls comes to Taupō Museum

"After more than 40 years working with clay, I'm still resisting instructions, breaking the occasional rule, and finding humour wherever I can."

That irreverent spirit is at the heart of Please Don't Lick the Walls, a new exhibition at Taupō Museum by popular ceramic artist Fiona Tunnicliffe.

The inspiration began in Melbourne's iconic Hosier Lane, a place known for its ever-changing graffiti. The experience sparked ideas that have evolved into a collection celebrating animals.

"I always find myself returning to my childhood in rural Wairakei, surrounded by dogs, cats, horses, and the occasional cow or duck wandering through the background."

Fiona says that childhood experiences continue to shape her work today, sitting alongside the animals that share her life now, including cats, dogs, chickens and even axolotls.

While every so often the urge to be a "proper" potter takes hold, leading her towards domestic ware, it is never long before she returns to the animal forms that have become a hallmark of her practice.

"For me, the most important element is the clay itself, how it responds to being shaped, transformed and fired," says Fiona.

After more than four decades of working with clay, Fiona Tunnicliffe continues to experiment and challenge conventions. Her ceramic works blend technical skill with humour, allowing familiar creatures and playful characters to emerge from the clay.

Originally from Taupō and now based in Putāruru, Fiona has exhibited throughout the region and beyond. A frequent exhibitor at Taupō Museum, she has built a loyal following among local collectors.

She has won awards at Bay Art and Taupō Art Society exhibitions, as well as recent success at the Annual Waikato Society of Potters Exhibition, where she received the premier award.

The public is invited to attend the opening event on Friday 25 September at 5.30pm to enjoy a first look at the works.

Please Don't Lick the Walls runs in the Main Gallery at Taupō Museum from Saturday 26 September to Monday 16 November.

🍃✨ Artist Spotlight: Sally-Ann Davies ✨🍃Originally from England and now based in Taupō, Sally-Ann Davies is a full-time ...
18/09/2026

🍃✨ Artist Spotlight: Sally-Ann Davies ✨🍃

Originally from England and now based in Taupō, Sally-Ann Davies is a full-time artist whose work is inspired by a deep connection to the landscapes of Aotearoa. With a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Fine Art, Sally-Ann's creative journey spans education, international exhibitions, and a flourishing career in printmaking.

Best known for her expressive woodcut prints, Sally-Ann combines monoprinting, collagraphs, and woodcut techniques to create layered works rich in texture, light, and atmosphere. Through her practice, she captures the beauty and character of the natural environment, inviting viewers to experience familiar landscapes through a fresh lens.

A transformative art residency in Tuscany in 2017 reinforced her ambition to become a full-time artist, a goal she realised in 2021. Alongside her own creative practice, Sally-Ann shares her passion for printmaking through workshops and retreats in New Zealand and the UK, inspiring others to explore their creativity.

Sally-Ann's work features in Language of Wood, alongside artists Jodie Appleton and Angela Zajonskowski. The exhibition explores the many ways artists engage with wood as both a medium and a source of inspiration.

⏰ Don't miss out! This is the last weekend to catch Language of Wood at Taupō Museum. Visit the Main Gallery before the exhibition closes on Monday 21 September 2026.

📍 Taupō Museum
📅 Last Day 21 September 2026

✨ Rāapa ✨Te reo Māori grows when we use it in everyday moments. Today, share a phrase you can use with whānau, friends o...
15/09/2026

✨ Rāapa ✨
Te reo Māori grows when we use it in everyday moments. Today, share a phrase you can use with whānau, friends or workmates. Bonus points if you say it out loud! Pop into the museum and be the FIRST* to answer our daily pātai to claim your prize.

*One prize per day, to the first person to complete the challenge

✨Rātū✨Today’s challenge is all about kupu! Pick an object around you and give te reo Māori a go. Post your te reo item w...
14/09/2026

✨Rātū✨
Today’s challenge is all about kupu! Pick an object around you and give te reo Māori a go. Post your te reo item word in the comments, then be the FIRST* to visit the museum and answer the pātai about this blue and yellow object to collect your prize!

*One prize per day, to the first person to complete the challenge

✨ Rāhina ✨Kia ora! We’re kicking off Te Wiki o te Reo Māori with a simple challenge: Use a greeting in te reo Māori toda...
13/09/2026

✨ Rāhina ✨
Kia ora! We’re kicking off Te Wiki o te Reo Māori with a simple challenge: Use a greeting in te reo Māori today. Comment below with your greeting, then be the FIRST to visit the museum and answer our daily pātai to claim your prize*.

*One prize per day, to the first person to complete the challenge

✨🤩 Whakataetae mo Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori 🤩✨As part of our celebration of Te Reo Māori in Mahuru, Taupō Museum will be r...
12/09/2026

✨🤩 Whakataetae mo Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori 🤩✨
As part of our celebration of Te Reo Māori in Mahuru, Taupō Museum will be running competitions during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori (Mane 14 - Hanarei 20 ō Mahuru | Sept) where you can show your love for te reo Māori and win some beautiful Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori goodies. There's a whole lot of cool items to win including hoodies, tote bags, stickers, notebooks, activity packs, and more!
Keep an eye on out Facebook and Instagram everyday next week for your chance to win!

🌳✨ Artist Spotlight: Angela Zajonskowski ✨🌳"Trees are a living story, and I am fascinated by the way the wood moves afte...
12/09/2026

🌳✨ Artist Spotlight: Angela Zajonskowski ✨🌳

"Trees are a living story, and I am fascinated by the way the wood moves after you give it a new journey." Angela Zajonskowski

An artistic woodturner with a deep connection to her craft, Angela Zajonskowski draws inspiration from a family heritage of woodturning that spans generations. Seven years ago, after discovering her father's lathe, she began her own creative journey, reviving a tradition that has since become a passionate calling.

Angela's work transforms timber into vessels, wall hangings, and sculptural forms that celebrate the beauty and individuality of each piece of wood. Guided by natural grain, texture, and history, she creates works that tell stories through intricate patterns, subtle colour, and thoughtful repetition. Her pieces invite viewers to connect with the material in a new way, revealing the character and spirit held within the timber itself.

A dedicated member of the Lake Taupo Woodworkers Guild, Angela has contributed as both an instructor and Treasurer since 2019, helping to foster a vibrant community of makers while championing the art of woodturning.

Angela's work features in The Language of Wood, an exhibition exploring the diverse ways artists work with timber as both a medium and a source of inspiration. Also featuring works by Jodie Appleton and Sally Ann Davies, the exhibition is on display in the Main Gallery at Taupō Museum until 21 September 2026.

📍 Main Gallery, Taupō Museum
📅 Until 21 September 2026

🪵🌿 Artist Spotlight - Jodie Appleton 🌿🪵Based in Taupō, Jodie Appleton brings together over 20 years of fine art practice...
11/09/2026

🪵🌿 Artist Spotlight - Jodie Appleton 🌿🪵

Based in Taupō, Jodie Appleton brings together over 20 years of fine art practice and a passion for Aotearoa's natural environment. Specialising in pyrography, the art of burning images into wood, Jodie creates intricate works that celebrate the beauty, spirituality, and complexity of our native forests.

Inspired by themes of guardianship, identity, and our connection to the land, her work embraces the unique grain, texture, and character of each piece of timber, allowing the wood itself to become part of the story.

Alongside Sally Ann, and Angela, Jodie's work features in The Language of Wood, an exhibition showcasing the diverse ways artists use timber as both a medium and a source of inspiration. The exhibition is on display in the Main Gallery until 21 September 2026.

Visit Taupō Museum to experience these stunning works in person.



Image 2: Tail of Timeless Strands, Jodie Appleton

Address

4 Story Place
Taupo
3330

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 10am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 10am - 4:30pm
Thursday 10am - 4:30pm
Friday 10am - 4:30pm
Saturday 10am - 4:30pm
Sunday 10am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+6473760414

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