Toi Mori Aotearoa Media Release 10 July 2013 For immediate use

Chair of TRRWoA to complete residency at Evergreen State and speak at the PAA Conference in Vancouver.

From left to right: Ruth Nicholas, Toni Sadlier & Christina Wirihana outside the Longhouse Education and Cultural Centre, Evergreen State College in August 2012.

Christina Wirihana will travel to Washington State, USA in July to take part in a residency at Evergreen State College in Olympia. She will then travel to Vancouver, Canada to speak at the Pacific Arts Association Conference which is to be held from the 6-9th of August at the Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia. Christina will also be joined by her mother and master weaver, Matekino Lawless. Tinas main aim while in Evergreen will be to collaborate with the NW Coast weavers. This will be through researching historic woven mats and basketry with the purpose of combining Mori and NW Coast techniques, pattern and weaving materials. She will be taking prepared harakeke for this purpose. What will be significant about this residency will be the traveling and collaborating of the mother and daughter team. While they collaborate every day; having the opportunity to share this with NW Coast weavers will be more exciting for the pair. This will not be the first time Christina has gone to Evergreen; she has a personal relationship with the people of Evergreen State College through the Director of the Longhouse, Tina Kuckkahn and completed a residency there in 2006. At the PAA conference in Vancouver, she will be presenting two research papers. One will be on behalf of Toi Mori Aotearoa and the other for Toihoukura of EIT Tairawhiti. We look forward to hearing about Christinas experiences when she returns in early August. ENDS About Toi Mori Aotearoa: Toi Mori Aotearoa, Charitable Trust is the national organisation for Mori art and artists. It receives major funding from Te Waka Toi, the Mori Arts Board of Creative New Zealand. For more information, please contact: Deborah Pathak Operations Assistant Toi Mori Aotearoa E: deborah@maoriart.org.nz