Toi Maaori - A Kowhaiwhai Art Programme

31 July - 4 September 2025

Every Thursday 10am to 1pm

This is a creative 6-week journey exploring kowhaiwhai – traditional Māori patterns full of meaning, story, and cultural expression. You will learn the motifs such as koru, mangōpare, kōriri, rauru, ngutu kākā, neho taniwha, poutama, and more. Each week will build your skills and confidence through hands-on, fun contemporary art projects.

What to Expect:

Learn the meaning behind traditional kowhaiwhai patterns and how to tell your own stories through visual design.
Practice painting on glass vases to loosen technique and develop you own style - a great first piece you get to take home.
Create a bold acrylic circle design using spray paint and brushwork that will be ready to hang in your whare!
Final project: paint your own final piece, expressing a story through kowhaiwhai.
Be part of a kaupapa Māori learning space – where manaakitanga, creativity, and connection are at the heart.

All levels welcome – no experience needed.
If you’ve ever felt too shy, unsure, or disconnected to start your toi Māori journey – this is your time, and this is your space.

Course cost: $60 - includes all materials.

As a not-for-profit organisation, NGĀ ART (Te Whare Toi o Ngaaruawaahia) relies on grants, community funding, and donations to keep our classes affordable and accessible for everyone in our community. This programme is generously subsidised thanks to funding support from TEC (Tertiary Education Commission) to assist with literacy and numeracy needs of our participants. You must attend 80% of the classes. At the same time we hope you will learn other useful and interesting skills and have a lot of fun learning with us.

(Payment plans are available if you are unable to pay in full at time of registration. Contact admin@ngaart.org.nz)

Toi Maaori Term 3