He Waka Tuia — Attraction in Invercargill City

Its okay. The staff are lovely .

But it is just so small compared to what it in other city's that it is almost a bit embarrassing.

I am aware it is transitional but the exhibit I saw felt a bit ..uncurated.. compared to the type of exhibition concepts you see elsewhere (i.e: chch art gallery). Then I read all pieces were for sale . That's kinda strange for a public gallery???

Also I really dislike that generic elevator music was playing. When I go to a gallery I like to be able to focus on looking and reading stuff . The quiet is part of the appeal. It was really strange- like hearing the radio on in a library . Maybe places do this now?? I find this super odd . Is the music selected for the art at all ? is it random ?

I also walked past this loads of times not realizing it was a free public art gallery . No not because of the maori used .I didn't notice because it doesnt say "public" or "invercargill" anywhere and only has teeny tiny text saying art and museum . This is a graphic design flaw. It says "YOUR SPACE" twice in huge letters (bigger than He Waka Tuia ) .

At a glance people read the thing with the most emphasis . YOUR SPACE is meaningless to passerby's especially tourists. Change it to GALLERY and or ART or MUSEUM and you will suddenly have...

A great space and a must-visit! An interactive, cultural, educational, immersive, emotional experience. With the closure of both the Southland Museum and the Invercargill Public Art Gallery, it is great that He Waka Tuia exists to house thought-provoking art and significant taonga. Installations have multimedia explanations, including some you can touch, which makes the whole experience really immersive. There is even an opportunity to take part in one of the installations Te manu tītī, te manawa...

We love this art museum! I take my daughter there most Thursdays for the kids crafts and she absolutely loves it. It is nice to find a space where children can learn to appreciate art and be encouraged to create their own. It is a comfortable and...