We foresee a journey in the near future

A fortnight now until the 2026 symposium in Whanganui! Numbers are good, so expect to have lots of people to talk with. Online registration closes tonight (24 April); the special tours are both fully booked.

So a couple of Whanganui highlights to note. One is the Outfit of the Month, a regular feature at our host institution, Whanganui Regional Museum. There’s a talk at the museum on 1 May about the new outfit; the display is also the subject of a symposium paper so check out the online accumulations of the months since March 2021.

Saturday afternoon at the symposium closes with time for tours. The textile history and back of house options are full, but no booking is required for Maureen Lander’s floor talk in He Kite Iti, 101 newly created kete iti (small woven baskets) by 32 contemporary Māori weavers from across Aotearoa New Zealand, presented alongside historical kete from the Whanganui Regional Museum collection.

For further reading, Whanganui textile history crops up fleetingly in this recent NZ Life & Leisure article on the resurrection of the Oscar Eide workwear label that originated back in the early 20th century and was part of the city’s textile heyday.

AND hot off the press release, huge congratulations to CTANZ member Steven Junil Park who’s just been announced as one of the Arts Foundation’s latest Springboard Awards, which will include the mentorship of Lisa Reihana. Wonderful to see Steven receiving this recognition and support.