

# Event Details

- **Event Name**: Free Talk: Introduction to Aotearoa Art History 
- **Event Start and End Date**: Wed, 25 Feb, 2026 at 08:00 am
- **Event Description**: Free Talk: Introduction to Aotearoa Art History 

Join curator Melanie Oliver as she focuses on art histories from across the Pacific region though the research of art historian, writer and academic Karen Stevenson. 

Raised in Los Angeles, Stevenson is of Tahitian heritage and moved to Ōtautahi Christchurch in 1995 to take up a position in the art history department at the University of Canterbury. 

Fellow lecturer Jonathan Mane-Wheoki provided encouragement and contemporary Pacific artists in Aotearoa New Zealand inspiration for Stevenson’s research, leading to a significant career of publishing and advocacy focused on art and art histories from across the Pacific region, both in Aotearoa and internationally.

Stevenson’s art history presented a fresh perspective that acknowledged the historical traditions and context that Pacific artists were drawing on and the distinct forms, techniques and processes inherent to their work. 

Alongside sculpture and painting, she incorporated collective practices, performance and craft, such as bark cloth, mats, jewellery, costume and tivaevae textiles. Stevenson built strong relationships with artists and wrote several important texts, often based on extensive interviews, publishing books on Johnny Penisula (1941–2023) and Filipe Tohi (b. 1943), and many articles on Pacific practices, women, persistence, change and meaning. Stevenson developed an engaging art history that reinforced how art is imbued with identity, culture and innovation.

In this second session on the Art Histories of Aotearoa, Oliver will share some key artworks and exhibitions based on Stevenson's research.


Free Entry
Wednesday 25 February at 6pm
Philip Carter Family Auditorium


Image credit: Tungane Broadbent and Vereara Maeva-Taripo Kaute (Hibiscus) 2019. Cotton thread, cotton sheeting. Collection of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, purchased 2022.
- **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/christchurch/free-talk-introduction-to-aotearoa-art-history/200029678824022
- **Event Categories**: art, fine-arts, exhibitions, literary-art
- **Interested Audience**: 
  - total_interested_count: 121

## Ticket Details

- **Ticket URL**: http://facebook.com/200029678824022?utm_source=AllEvents.in&utm_medium=event-discovery-platform&utm_campaign=christchurch-events

## Event venue details

- **city**: Christchurch
- **state**: CA
- **country**: New Zealand
- **location**: Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū
- **lat**: -43.530513400917
- **long**: 172.63103728487
- **full address**: Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, 312 Montreal St, Christchurch Central, Christchurch 8013, New Zealand, Christchurch

## Event Organizer details

- **affiliate_id**: 2
- **organizer**: Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū (https://allevents.in/org/christchurch-art-gallery-te-puna-o-waiwhetū/8808422)

## Event gallery

- **Alt text**: banner
  - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events3/banners/d02c49a072e73ca1fee097aa708f135c5d06863d8a2cb2d8b2f3348043e39bb3-rimg-w1170-h916-dc1e322d-gmir?v=1771398082
- **Alt text**: thumbnail
  - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events3/banners/64b851b2fae952f83977cf14dc1127f32bd2e5d0b5ad32d3f50cd1c44da51fe8-rimg-w300-h300-dc2b3630-gmir?v=1771398082

## FAQs

- **Q**: When is the event happening?
  - **A:** Wed, 25 Feb, 2026 at 08:00 am
- **Q**: Where is the event happening?
  - **A:** Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, 312 Montreal St, Christchurch Central, Christchurch 8013, New Zealand, Christchurch
- **Q**: Who is organizing the event?
  - **A:** Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū
- **Q**: What type of event is this?
  - **A:** art, fine-arts, exhibitions, literary-art
- **Q**: Where can I find ticket details about Free Talk: Introduction to Aotearoa Art History  ?
  - **A:** You can find ticket details about this event on AllEvents.

## Structured Data (JSON-LD)

```json
[
    {
        "@context": "https://schema.org",
        "@type": "Event",
        "name": "Free Talk: Introduction to Aotearoa Art History",
        "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events3/banners/d02c49a072e73ca1fee097aa708f135c5d06863d8a2cb2d8b2f3348043e39bb3-rimg-w1170-h916-dc1e322d-gmir?v=1771398082",
        "startDate": "2026-02-25",
        "url": "https://allevents.in/christchurch/free-talk-introduction-to-aotearoa-art-history/200029678824022",
        "location": {
            "@type": "Place",
            "name": "Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū",
            "address": {
                "@type": "PostalAddress",
                "streetAddress": "312 Montreal St, Christchurch Central, Christchurch 8013, New Zealand",
                "addressLocality": "Christchurch",
                "addressRegion": "CA",
                "addressCountry": "NZ"
            },
            "geo": {
                "@type": "GeoCoordinates",
                "latitude": "-43.530513400917",
                "longitude": "172.63103728487"
            }
        },
        "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode",
        "description": "Free Talk: Introduction to Aotearoa Art History \n\nJoin curator Melanie Oliver as she focuses on art histories from across the Pacific region though the research of art historian, writer and academic Karen Stevenson. \n\nRaised in Los Angeles, Stevenson is of Tahitian heritage and moved to Ōtautahi Chr",
        "organizer": [
            {
                "@type": "Organization",
                "name": "Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhet",
                "url": "https://allevents.in/org/christchurch-art-gallery-te-puna-o-waiwhetū/8808422",
                "description": "OPEN 7 DAYS\n\n10am-5pm , Wed 10am - 9pm\n\nInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/chchartgallery/\nTwitter: https://twitter.com/ChchArtGallery"
            }
        ]
    }
]
```