Hidden Treasures: The Artwork of Te Ao Mārama - Mount Maunganui Library

 

As Te Ao Mārama - Mount Maunganui Library prepares for its upcoming refresh, or "glow-up", some of the library's most treasured artworks will be carefully packed away and placed into temporary storage. While they'll be out of sight for a little while, it's the perfect opportunity to take a closer look at the pieces that help make the library such a unique and welcoming space. Libraries are often thought of as places for books, learning, and community connection. But they're also home to stories told through art. Throughout Te Ao Mārama, artworks reflect the people, landscapes, and cultural heritage of our coastal community, creating a sense of place that visitors experience the moment they walk through the doors.

Whether inspired by Tauranga Moana, local flora and fauna, or the histories and identities that shape our region, these works add depth and character to the library environment. They invite us to pause, reflect, and connect with the stories around us in a different way. As renovation work gets underway, the artworks will be carefully protected until they can return to their home on the library walls. Their temporary absence is a reminder of how much they contribute to the atmosphere of the space and how easily we can overlook the creative treasures that surround us. When the library reopens, visitors can look forward not only to refreshed spaces but also to seeing these much-loved artworks return, ready to welcome a new generation of library users.

Until then, we're taking a moment to celebrate the collection and the stories it tells about our community, our place, and the people who call it home. The first to be mentioned is a taonga created by celebrated Māori artist, Fred Graham. Graham, (Ngāti Korokī Kahukura, Tainui), a visionary for expressing indigenous stories through contemporary artwork, created a mural depicting the journey our tupuna maunga undertook from the dense forest of Ōtānewainuku to the entrance of Te Awanui by the assistance of the elusive patupaiārehe. The carved relief was an evolutionary artwork consisting of mixed media, conveying elements that retell a story of heartbreak, growth, challenges, tikanga and the natural world as understood through the Māori worldview. Graham's sketch design showed the premeditated approach to the design and the many elements that would contribute to one coherent kōrero of Mauao's journey. 

• The sun. Final form not set could be a white missionaries face.
• Tukupanel representing stairway to Heaven, Tanes journey to the 12th heaven to fetch baskets of knowledge, see script.
• Patupaiarehe (carved in white pine) fleeing from sunlight - spirae background carved from hardboard rep. Time.
• Patupaiarehe (carved in kauri). Hauling the "nameless one" towards sea.
• Background - white lacing on background (Tuku representing Milky Way and hence night time).
• Large waves representing Open sea side of "Mauao".
• Otanewaimuku.
• "Nameless one" Grows in statue as he is dragged to his present site and given the name of "Mauao" and later "Mt. Maunganui".
• Puwhenua.

Pencil sketch of carving for Mount Maunganui Library, depicting the legend of Mauao. Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries Ams 326

The end result was a striking composition consisting of a range of native timbers, including kahikatea, kauri, rimu, and tōtara, alongside hardboard and plastic-laced tukutuku panels. Together, these materials create a richly textured work that blends traditional Māori design elements with contemporary artistic practice.

The Legend of Mauao: carved relief: Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries Photo 21-1892

One of the earliest artworks associated with the Mount Maunganui Public Library was Raurangi, a carving created by Jon Freeland from a log of beached tōtara. The work was commissioned and gifted to the library by Mrs L. C. Stevens, reflecting a community commitment to enriching the library with locally significant art.

Jon Freeland with his carving Raurangi: Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries Photo gca-11966

Jon's artwork, captured above and published in the Bay of Plenty Times on 8 June 1966, the carving became part of the library's story even before the new purposely built library building officially opened in 1967, establishing a connection between art, place, and community that continues today.

Raurangi carving: Mount Maunganui Library: Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries Photo 21-1893