Walking Backward into the Future: 30 Years after Te Māori

Free Public Lecture

Maia Nuku, Evelyn A. J. Hall & John A. Friede Associate Curator for Oceanic Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

In 1984, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York staged a landmark exhibition of Māori art that became a significant milestone in the cultural renaissance of the Māori. Notable for the fact that Māori elders and leaders were involved in curatorial decisions from the outset, it was also—remarkably—the first occasion when Māori art was presented in an international context as art. Thirty years later, Maia Nuku will consider the continuing challenges and opportunities for museums involved in the exhibition and display of Pacific art. How can we best navigate disciplinary boundaries between art (or science) and ethnography—and engage diverse audiences with the dynamic aspects of these collections? 

Race, Representation, and Museums Lecture Series

Presented in collaboration with the Departments of Anthropology and Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University

Free parking is available at the 52 Oxford Street Garage.