Māori Art Market

Māori Art Market is biennial event inspired by the Santa Fe Indian Market. The publicly funded event features art exhibitions, art sales, live art demonstrations, such as wood carving and tattooing, as well as presentations and master classes. The focus is on Māori traditional arts and Māori practitioners of traditional arts. There are also representative of other indigenous peoples, mainly on bi-lateral exchanges.

The genesis of the Market was Darcy Nicholas's Fulbright Studies in 1984, which proposed the idea to Ihakara Puketapu, Professor Ngatata Love of the Department of Maori Affairs and Glen Wiggs of the New Zealand Crafts Council. This led to the Roi Toia and June Grant working with Nigel Reading of the Spirit Wrestler Gallery in Vancouver. The markets are also linked to the 2010 World Art Market (WAM!) project held in Canada. The events are underwritten by Toi Māori Aotearoa, a government funded charitable trust for the promotion of Māori arts.

The first Māori Art Market was held in 2007 in the TSB Arena, Wellington. The second Market was held in Te Rauparaha Arena, Porirua City.

The third is to be held 6th-9 October 2011 in Te Rauparaha Arena, Porirua City. It is part of New Zealand 2011, a series of events linked to the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

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