Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki announces new Curator, Māori Art

Monday 2 November 2015

Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki has appointed Nigel Borell as its new Curator, Māori Art.

Borell (Pirirākau, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Te Whakatōhea) replaces Ngahiraka Mason who was in the role for more than 20 years.

In this position, Borell will report to Principal Curator, Zara Stanhope. He will help to develop and manage the Gallery’s collection of artworks by Māori and works depicting Māori, researching, displaying and interpreting the collection for the benefit of the Gallery’s stakeholders, especially the public.

The position is also responsible for liaising with the relevant collection stakeholders, including artists, iwi, funders and donors, for purposes relating to collecting, exhibition making, research and the development of philanthropic support and patronage.

Stanhope says she is excited to welcome Nigel Borell as Curator, Māori Art at the Gallery.

‘Nigel has a reputation for curatorial work that is based on his knowledge of both traditional and contemporary Māori practice along with strong community relations. We are looking forward to Nigel extending public engagement with Māori art and actively contributing to discussion and debate for our audiences and communities of interest,’ she says.

Borell has more than 10 years’ experience curating Māori art exhibitions. Previously Borell was Associate Curator Māori at Auckland War Memorial Museum from 2013 and prior to that he held the position of Kaiwhakahaere Toi o Manukau; Māori Arts Manager, Auckland Council-South from 2009 to 2013. Earlier he was the Programme Coordinator Aka Rākai Toi/Diploma in Art at the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, Tauranga from 2007 to 2009.

Borell currently also lectures for University of Auckland Art History Department on Māori art history.

He gained a Bachelor of Māori Visual Art (Hons), Massey University, Palmerston North in 2000 and a Master of Fine Arts (Hons) at Elam School of Fine Arts in 2002.