Celebrations: Matariki Art Competition and 20th Anniversary of Okohanga

Celebrations

Matariki Art Competition and the 20th Anniversary of Okohanga

On 28th June 2022 at Ōtūmoetai College we celebrated the 20th anniversary of our Whare Wānanga Okohanga, and our school marae. The anniversary was actually meant to be celebrated earlier in the year but with the Covid traffic light system, we weren’t able to host our event. Having it during our Matariki celebrations and Art Competition seemed very appropriate.

After a delicious hangi in the kura’s new hangi cooker (built by Russell Prout in Technology) we were privileged to listen to a speech from Hiriwa Curnow, one of the key people responsible for the existence of our Whare Wānanga Okohanga. The winners of the Art Competition were then announced!

The Art Competition is an annual event run by the Ruamano committee to celebrate the many talented artists we have at the kura and to acknowledge Matariki. The event was attended by friends and whānau of the kura, including anyone who had enjoyed Te Whare Okohanga in the past, and, of course, art lovers. Guests were able to vote for their favourite artwork, too! Every year Ōtūmoetai College celebrates Matariki with an art competition, among a range of initiatives, facilitated by the Ruamano Committee. This year we had the most entries we’ve ever had. The number of entries, combined with the 20th anniversary celebrations, ensured this year’s event was the biggest yet.

Celebrating Matariki at Ōtūmoetai College this year was particularly special now that it has become a national holiday. Our theme this year was New Beginnings so the art reflects the looking forward part of Matariki. The celebration of the 20th Anniversary of Te Whare Okohanga was a time to reflect on the past and all the hard work done to get us to this point in time, as well as thinking on where we want to go next.

The Matariki Art Competition has definitely become a great way to annually celebrate and educate a lot of our students and staff on the meaning and importance of Matariki. This annual competition not only gives the artistic students a creative outlet, but also gives them a deeper understanding of the significance of Matariki. It also allows tauira to gain confidence in their artistic abilities, as they will not be graded on their art, and there are no limits to what they can create or ways they can express their own perception of Matariki.

by Lana Moore

Hiriwa Curnow speaking during the celebrations

The Winners of the Matariki Art Competition

Second place in the Senior Category, Pyper Loane Winner of the Junior Category, Ava Bastin