Ruru presents 'STRANGER THAN FICTION'!

Sorry we've been out of touch for so long!  We had a few things to sort out before enlightening you about our newest Ruru project, but we're good to go now ...

Ruru is happy to announce a brand new project, presented to you in conjunction with Team Heritage.  Label writing is going fictitious!!!

Image courtesy of the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney

We've borrowed a brilliant exhibition concept from the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney and adapted it for Puke Ariki.  In 2009, the Powerhouse staged an exhibition called The Odditoreum.  It involved pulling an intriguing range of 'odd' objects out of the museum's collection and inviting children's author Shaun Tan to write completely fictitious labels for each object.  The museum then invited visitors to write their own imaginative labels and display them for other visitors to enjoy.

Image courtesy of the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney

The Odditoreum was incredibly successful and resulted in some spectacularly imaginative feats of label writing.  We thought, "that sounds good enough for us!"  So we have adapted the idea for Puke Ariki, choosing a range of unusual, unexplained and uncommon objects from the Heritage Collections.  They will be displayed in the main temporary exhibition gallery while all the foyer redevelopment kerfuffle is going on.  Like in The Odditoreum, the public will be encouraged to write fictional labels about our collection objects.  In case the title of this blog didn't give you a clue, the exhibition is called Stranger Than Fiction and will be opening on Thursday 12 May 2011 from 6pm until 7.30pm. 

Instead of inviting a famous author to write imaginative labels to 'seed' the exhibition, we thought we would extend that courtesy to YOU!!!  You guys have been writing AMAZING object labels, so who needs a children's author to get us started??!!  After the success of the last Ruru launch, we figured you all needed another excuse to get together.  Therefore, we are inviting you (plus partners & kids!) to come on down to the temporary exhibition gallery on Thursday 12 May, have a drink and help us write some fanciful labels to get Stranger Than Fiction underway. 

It will also be an opportunity to recognise and celebrate our new round of personalised label writers ... we haven't forgotten about you, we promise!  AND it was going to be the temporarily displaced iSITE's housewarming party, but word on the street is their move into the temporary exhibition gallery has been postponed by a few weeks.  But we can still have a drink in their honour anyway!

So join us on Thursday 12 May to marvel at our amazingly unusual collection objects and to write us some awesome labels.  Let your imagination run riot ... the stranger the better!

(and here's just a little taste to whet your appetite):

What is it???

What is it used for???

Eeeek!!!  That looks scary!

(or at least Stranger Than Fiction!)

Thanks to the label writers!

The deadline for round two of personalised labels has passed ... though I haven't started editing the labels yet, so if you have a last minute addition I can probably be bribed to take it!

A huge THANK YOU to the new Ruru Revolutionaries that have joined the ranks of label writers.  We now have 18 new labels, including many from first time writers.  Our new Curator Archives, Lucy Macfarlane, put her recent experience of working at the Eltham Cheese Shop to good use by writing an ode to cheesemaking, while Mikaere Gardiner used his well known artistic prowess to create a visual rather than textual label.  These labels and more will be awaiting your discovery in May ...

On that note, we'll blog next week about how we plan to launch the new labels and celebrate our label writers.  All we can tell you at this stage is the celebration will be a 'three for the price of one' affair (but not in a cheap way!) and will definitely be different from last time!

GET READY TO PARTY!

"Who are you calling a fossil?!!"

Round two is well underway!

I forgot my camera today so I couldn't head out and take some interesting Ruru-related photographs to pretty up the blog.  I decided to upload this photo instead ... I came across this little note on the pavement near my house the day after we launched the first round of personalised labels.  Given the launch had gone so well, I had to agree that it WAS my lucky day!!!

Anyway, on to all things Ruru ...

We've had an influx of labels over the last few days.  In addition to Clare's label and Cameron's two poetic efforts, we've had no less than FIVE options submitted by Bill Howard!  Te Maari has built on the success of her wonderful label about the 'Little Battler' moa skeleton - this time she's written about another object on display in the Taranaki Naturally gallery.  We've also had several labels from Puke Ariki's loyal North Wing Volunteers, Jill McKillop and Mike Nightingale.  Discover It! staff are stepping into the fray with TeAo writing a soaring story about a small Māori kite.

A big THANK YOU to all the staff who have written labels for round two.  For those of you yet to take the plunge, don't forget that the deadline is this Friday, 18 March 2011.  

We'll keep you posted about how we intend to celebrate the new round of labels ... as we hinted last time, we've got another idea on the boil too so we hope to join both initiatives into one big celebration of label writing goodness! 

Keep those labels coming!!!

Label of the week - Glen Skipper

This week's personalised label is written by Glen Skipper, Curator Taonga Māori.  Glen obviously hunted around for one of the least known, mysterious little displays he could find ... it would be safe to say most Puke Ariki staff didn't even know this drawer of shells existed!

Shell drawer, Taranaki Naturally Gallery

Glen's label records his reaction to stumbling across this little-known drawer ...

(click on label for a larger image)



... and succinctly expresses the frustration of finding a display with no labels!!!  

A hearty congratulations also to Clare O'Connell, who is the FIRST person to submit a label for the second round of personalised labels.  She was duly rewarded with a Ruru badge AND a buzz bar (the shop was out of chocolate fish!).  [disclaimer: Clare only got a buzz bar for being the first to write a label, so don't get your hopes up!!!]

The Ruru team eagerly awaits your new reminiscences ...

Label of the week - Te Maari Barham

This week's featured personalised label is from Te Maari Barham, our A.G. Buist Technician.  Given that her time here (so far anyway!) has revolved around scanning photographs of archaeological digs and moa bones, perhaps it was no wonder she chose to write about the small moa skeleton on display in Taranaki Naturally:



A70.622 - Moa skeleton (collection of Puke Ariki)

Te Maari's label muses on the toughness of a little moa that managed to outlive its larger family members: 

(click on the label for a larger image)

Te Maari's label is the first object in the I Digress ... on the subject of suffering and endurance scavenger hunt.  If you can endure the whole hunt you get a bright pink Ruru badge as a reward!

As Rebecca Connor mentioned in last week's staff meeting, we will be calling for new personalised label submissions in a few weeks' time.  The Ruru team is also working on some other exciting ideas, so we'll keep you posted!  In the meantime, keep an eye out for that obscure yet wonderful object you may wish to write about ...

Label of the week - Nathan Hills

This week's featured personalised label comes from Environmental Education Officer Nathan Hills.  His object of inspiration was the classic Swanndri:

TM2002.075 - John Mack Ltd, Jacket, Swanndri (circa 1960s) (Collection of Puke Ariki, New Plymouth)

Nathan's recollections of donning a Swanndri hint at a traumatic relationship with the legendary garb of all good Kiwi men:

(if you click on the image it will get bigger)



Perhaps wearing the good ol' Swannie wasn't all it was cracked up to be!

Nathan's label is on display with a range of Swanndri garments in the Taranaki Life gallery.  His label also features in the purple I Digress ... scavenger hunt, which has the theme of fashion, craft and design.  If you haven't given it a whirl yet, try it out and collect your very own purple Ruru badge when you're done!  Go on, I dare ya!!!

Time to check out some labels ...

For those of you who haven't had time to check out the personalised label trail yet, I figured I would help you out ... by writing a weekly 'featured label' blog post you can check out from the comfort of your desk!

Our inaugural 'label of the week' belongs to Paula Matheson, our trusty Pictorial Collection Volunteer.  Not only did she write a label but she also acted as a guinea pig by testing the public scavenger hunts before the launch on Saturday 22 January.

Paula's chosen object was dear to her heart - the giant portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on display in the Taranaki Research Centre was painted by her great grandfather!  So here's a picture of her inspiration:

PA2007.244 - Jack Wood, "N.P.  1953.  Royal Visit" (1953)

And here's her fantastic label (if you can't read it just click on the image and it will expand in size):

Paula's label also features in the blue I Digress ... on the mysteries of Puke Ariki scavenger hunt.  Her section of the hunt offers people the chance to muse on the question 'where would you take the Queen if she visited again and why?'  One scavenger hunter responded with the following comment: "To Pukekura Park to see the lights and enjoy the music - and maybe a boat ride or an ice cream!"  I'm sure Queenie would love a trip to Pukekura Park!!!

In case you are wondering how many labels are where, here's a rundown to make exploring the label trail easier:

Taranaki Naturally gallery - 4 labels
Takapou Whariki gallery - 5 labels
Taranaki Life gallery - 18 labels
Taranaki Research Centre - 1 label
Level 1, Library - 2 labels
Ground floor, Library - 1 label
Discover It! - 3 labels

If you want to see more labels in your favourite area of Puke Ariki, we'll be inviting you to make contributions to a second round of labels in March.  So start hunting out your favourite objects now!