Tautai Pacific Arts Trust

Tautai Pacific Arts Trust Tautai is a key organisation dedicated to the development and ongoing support of Pacific arts. Tautai receives major public funding from Creative New Zealand.

Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust was constituted as a charitable trust in June 1995. In January 2008 Tautai was registered by the Charities Commission as a charitable entity. Tautai also receives significant funding from the ASB Community Trust which supports activities in Auckland and Northland. Tautai also obtains some funding from other sources including member and supporter annual subscriptions.

Our final K I V A profile turns to curator Ani O’Neill, a Cook Islands artist whose practice has contributed significant...
08/10/2026

Our final K I V A profile turns to curator Ani O’Neill, a Cook Islands artist whose practice has contributed significantly to contemporary Pacific art in Aotearoa.

Born in Auckland in 1971 and of Cook Islands and Irish descent, she graduated from Elam School of Fine Arts in 1994. Her multidisciplinary practice spans installation, sculpture, textiles and performance, drawing on Cook Islands cultural knowledge, craft traditions and Pacific diasporic experience.

O’Neill emerged during a formative period for contemporary Pacific art and was part of a generation that helped expand its visibility in Aotearoa. In 1994, she was included in Bottled Ocean: Contemporary Polynesian Artists, curated by Jim Vivieaere.

Her connection to Tautai sits within this wider history. As curator of Tautai’s 40th anniversary exhibition, she brings her perspective as both artist and participant to the organisation’s four-decade history.

K I V A closes this Saturday, 10 October.

Tautai Gallery Hours
Tues–Fri | 10am–4pm
Sat | 11am–4pm

Image: Photo by Feeonaa Clifton

Macawa ni Vosa vakaViti, Fijian Language Week, is here! 🇫🇯The 2026 theme is Na noqu vosa me tekivu mai vale ka me'u na v...
04/10/2026

Macawa ni Vosa vakaViti, Fijian Language Week, is here! 🇫🇯

The 2026 theme is Na noqu vosa me tekivu mai vale ka me'u na vosataka e na veisiga / My language starts at home and I need to speak it every day.

A few events to check out across the week:
⭐️ Artwaka I: Auckland arrives at Four Shells from 6–10 October, a voyaging event series and collaborative platform led by NDINA Gallery, bringing together contemporary Oceanic arts and kava-talanoa.
⭐️ Visit the Fiji Arts & Crafts Village at Māngere Centre Park from 5–9 October (10.30am–6pm), featuring traditional handicrafts, handmade treasures and live demonstrations from Fijian artisans.
⭐️ Celebrate Fiji Day at Māngere Centre Park on 10 October (9am–5pm), marking 50 years of independence; featuring cultural performances, Fijian food + market stalls, live music and entertainment.
⭐️ Tūranga - Pacific Construction with Pasifika Library Services in Christchurch on 9 October (10am–11.30am) a free, hands-on drua-making workshop, exploring Fijian culture and Pacific connections to the environment. Register via Humanitix.
⭐️ Join Ōtāhuhu Library for free Fijian Language Week activities, including a Masi Prints workshop on 9 October (2–3pm) and Learn a Sereni Viti on 10 October (1.30–2.30pm). See the full programme in the slides!
⭐️ Get creative at the Celebrating Cultures Pop-Up: Fijian Masi Making at Botany Town Centre on 10 October (11am–1pm), exploring traditional Fijian design through a hands-on contemporary masi workshop. Register via Humanitix.

Looking ahead, join the launch of The Girmitiya Exhibition at Te Puna Creative Hub on 24 October (6–9pm), a free community exhibition remembering the stories of Indian indentured labourers brought to Fiji between 1879 and 1916 under British colonial rule. Register via Humanitix.

Vinaka vakalevu, and go well this Macawa ni Vosa vakaViti.

One of Tautai’s founding members, Lily Aitui Laita (1969–2023) was a pioneering Sāmoan and Māori artist, educator and cu...
01/10/2026

One of Tautai’s founding members, Lily Aitui Laita (1969–2023) was a pioneering Sāmoan and Māori artist, educator and cultural advocate whose contribution is deeply woven into Tautai’s history.

Lily was part of the first generation of Māori and Pacific artists to study fine art in Aotearoa, graduating from Elam School of Fine Arts in 1990 as its first Pacific woman graduate. Her painting explored Sāmoan and Māori identity, language, mythology and memory.

Lily served as Tautai Chairperson from 2002–2004, helping shape the organisation’s early development and establish a space where Pacific artists could gather, connect and share their work. Alongside her own practice, she taught for more than three decades as Head of Art at Western Springs College, influencing generations of young artists.

Lily’s legacy is reflected in her contribution to Pacific arts, education and the collective community that Tautai continues to champion.

K I V A | 40 years of Tautai
Curated by Ani O’Neill
On view until 10 Oct
📍 Tautai Gallery

Tautai Gallery Hours
Tues–Fri | 10am–4pm
Sat | 11am–4pm

Image: Learning Media, Ministry of Education.

In the East Street Window, we are fortunate to have two works by New Zealand born Sāmoan artist Petone Groom. Hung back-...
30/09/2026

In the East Street Window, we are fortunate to have two works by New Zealand born Sāmoan artist Petone Groom. Hung back-to-back, these sculptures reflect the artist’s Pasifika experience, where Sāmoan motifs like the four-pointed star, or fetu, often symbolise Pacific identity in logos, businesses, and public spaces.

Through digital 3D modelling Petone Groom brings the flower and star together as one physical object. These sculptures invite audiences to imagine new possibilities for Pacific design while remaining connected to its cultural roots.

REMINDER: Community Fono facilitated by Caren Rangi ONZM - Shaping Tautai’s FutureSaturday 3 October, 9.30am to 12pmTaut...
29/09/2026

REMINDER: Community Fono facilitated by Caren Rangi ONZM - Shaping Tautai’s Future

Saturday 3 October, 9.30am to 12pm
Tautai Gallery, Level 1, 300 Karangahape Road, Auckland
- 9.30am: Arrival and morning tea.
- 10am to 12pm: The Fono

This fono is centred on Contemporary Pacific art/artists and our wider Tautai community. We especially welcome:
- Pacific artists currently connected with Tautai
- Pacific artists who have previously worked with or been supported by Tautai
-vPacific artists who would like to connect with Tautai in the future

While these are the communities we particularly want to hear from, everyone is welcome.

THE HEART OF THE TALANOA

Tautai is going to continue to exist. This fono is an opportunity for our community to come together to help shape what Tautai can become and how it can best support Pacific artists, arts and communities. This is the beginning of a conversation. It is a space to listen, reflect, connect and imagine what the future of Tautai could look like together. We are not here to resolve Tautai’s future in one two-hour session, but to begin a collective conversation that can continue into the future.

WE WILL BE ASKING:
- What do you need Tautai to be and why?
- What can we build together?

Come if you are interested in Tautai succeeding, want to explore what is possible, and are prepared to be part of the village.

Click here to RSVP - https://events.humanitix.com/community-fono-facilitated-by-caren-rangi-onzm-shaping-tautai-s-future

If you are unable to attend in person and would still like to contribute, please click here - https://form.jotform.com/262707792083868 - Online contributions will close on Fri 2 Oct, 1pm.

Tālofa katoa koutou!We continue Pacific Language Weeks 2026 with Vaiaso o te 'Gana Tuvalu, Tuvalu Language Week.This yea...
27/09/2026

Tālofa katoa koutou!

We continue Pacific Language Weeks 2026 with Vaiaso o te 'Gana Tuvalu, Tuvalu Language Week.
This year’s theme is 'Tuvalu, alofa ki tou fakavae, kae teugina tou iloga i tau kete fai malaga / Tuvalu, cherish your foundation, and carry your identity along your journey'.

Take part, tune in and discover more about Tuvaluan language and culture:
⭐️ Tomorrow, 29 September, visit Auckland Museum for a Tuvalu community drop-in session, with opportunities to explore Tuvaluan textile and fibre taonga from the Museum’s collections. Bookings required via their website.
⭐️ On Friday 2 October, head to Ōtāhuhu Library for a free Fafetu craft activity (2–3pm), where children and families can create a traditional Tuvaluan star using yarn.
⭐️ Read PMN’s story on Professor Selina Tusitala Marsh ONZM and her work with a new generation of Tuvaluan storytellers, sharing their experiences through writing. On that note, make sure you’re following and for Tuvaluan sounds and stories throughout the week.

And if there’s something happening for Tuvalu Language Week that we’ve missed, send it our way 📩

🇹🇻 Fakafetai lasi, and thank you for helping keep Tuvaluan language and culture thriving.

A little Fresh Horizons flashback to Tāhuna / Queenstown! 🎭 ⏪This time last year we wrapped up the Fresh Horizons journe...
25/09/2026

A little Fresh Horizons flashback to Tāhuna / Queenstown! 🎭 ⏪

This time last year we wrapped up the Fresh Horizons journey in Tāhuna, with Pasifika students spending three days exploring an actors’ toolkit alongside Albert Latailakepa and Seiyan Thompson-Tonga.

Students learned how to warm up before a performance, work collaboratively, and push themselves outside their comfort zones. It was a few days of rangatahi trying new things and building confidence along the way 👏

Fakafetai lasi to Albert, Seiyan, Wakatipu High School and Mīharo Murihiku Trust for a memorable few days in Tāhuna.

One of the four Legacy Artists honoured through K I V A, Johnny Pen*sula (1941–2023) developed a distinctive sculptural ...
23/09/2026

One of the four Legacy Artists honoured through K I V A, Johnny Pen*sula (1941–2023) developed a distinctive sculptural practice grounded in Sāmoan heritage, cultural knowledge and a deep understanding of stone.

Born in Sāmoa, Johnny moved to New Zealand in 1962 and began exhibiting in the early 1970s. His practice brought together Sāmoan cultural traditions and contemporary sculpture, helping to affirm Pacific art’s place in Aotearoa.

Johnny was closely connected to Tautai, contributing to its sculpture programme and participating in several Tautai Sculpture Symposiums, where he generously shared his knowledge and skills with emerging artists.

Johnny’s legacy within Tautai is rooted in his generosity as an artist and mentor, and in the connections and knowledge he shared across generations of Pacific artists.

K I V A | 40 years of Tautai
Curated by Ani O’Neill
On view until 10 Oct
📍 Tautai Gallery

Tautai Gallery Hours
Tues–Fri | 10am–4pm
Sat | 11am–4pm

Image: Photo by Raymond Sagapolutele.

Venice became a place of connection, contradiction, and reflection for Pelenakeke Brown as she travelled to the 61st Ven...
23/09/2026

Venice became a place of connection, contradiction, and reflection for Pelenakeke Brown as she travelled to the 61st Venice Biennale with support from Tautai’s Artists Across Borders.

Included in Chimera, an installation by Denniston Hill, curated by the late Koyo Kouoh as part of In Minor Keys, Pelenakeke attended during Vernissage week, connecting with artists and curators while experiencing the scale and history of the Biennale firsthand.

Her experience opened up reflections on the role of artists, curators, protest, and art as a form of soft power and diplomacy.

“Attending in person always creates invaluable relationships.”

Read more about Pelenakeke’s Artists Across Borders journey here https://www.tautai.org/pelenakeke-brown ✈️

Mālō lava to everyone who came through to the K I V A Scrapbooking Workshop with Taualofa Totua from Filemu on Saturday!...
21/09/2026

Mālō lava to everyone who came through to the K I V A Scrapbooking Workshop with Taualofa Totua from Filemu on Saturday! 📖✂️ 💝

As part of Tautai’s 40th Anniversary exhibition, K I V A, and Karangahape Art Weekend, we spent the afternoon making postcards and reflecting on the people, stories and connections that have shaped Tautai over the past 40 years.

Address

Level 1, 300 Karangahape Road, Newton
Auckland
1145

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 11am - 4pm

Telephone

+6493761665

Website

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