He Kete Kotahi - He Whenu Maha, One Basket Many Strands

12/02/2026

Its almost two years since the 2024 He Kete Kotahi Art Exhibition, so time to invite artists of all ages, to create work for this years exhibition. The theme is “Peace, Love, and Family - Whanau: Bonds Beyond Blood” We welcome interpretations that are personal, cultural, symbolic, or experimental rather than clichés. The exhibition aims to reflect Rotorua’s vibrant multicultural identity, encouraging artists to draw inspiration from their own (or borrowed) traditions, values, and experiences. To help artists come up with exciting, different ways of interpreting the theme we have included a few quotes as inspiration.

“What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.” Mother Teresa
“All peoples and nations are of one family" Baha’i Writings, Baha'u'llah
”Aroha mai, aroha atu - love others and love will come back to you” from Aroha, by Hinemoa Elder

The exhibition will open on Saturday 30 May, and close on Saturday 27 June 2026, at the Rotorua Arts The Arts Village.

There will be posting here from time to time and emails will be sent out to those who are on our mailing list. A link to the entry form is below.

This exhibition is a platform for artists to create work that promotes racial harmony and the unity of humankind. It is a biennial exhibition organised by the Baha'i's of Rotorua and the Rotorua Multicultural Council, and is in honour of Abdu’l Baha whose life was dedicated to positive social and ...

22/02/2024

As we are asking you to end in a high quality photograph of your art work and send it to us in order to create a booklet of the exhibition, we thought it would be useful to have a video on the easiest way to go about that. Its quite tricky to take a quality photo of your art work to make sure it is "square" and lit evenly without shadows. This link to an 8 minute video will help you to do this easily with your phone and a couple of items most artists will have on hand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKgWIzvm3Hs

23/10/2023

We are thrilled to invite you to enter the 2024 He Kete Kotahi Exhibition. here is the link to the entry form.
We are really looking forward to seeing some creative entries.

https://forms.gle/hoWaZbckEmWrsPxe6

08/09/2023

Kia Ora Artists - we have been working on the registration form for our April-May 2024 Exhibition and Awards - should be ready towards the end of this month all going according to plan.

We continue to work with and alongside friends within the Rotorua Arts Village and The Rotorua Multicultural Council whose support we value to the moon and back.

Thought for the month: ‘The purpose of learning should be the promotion of the welfare of the people, and this can be achieved through crafts. It hath been revealed and is now repeated that the true worth of artists and craftsmen should be appreciated, for they advance the affairs of mankind.’ (from The Baha’i Writings).

Ka Kite ano

14/08/2023

Kia Ora artists,
He Kete Kotahi, He Whenu Maha has met with the Multicultural council this week as we continue pulling things together to facilitate the smooth running of next year's exhibition.
We are looking at an option for print our own full colour catalogue for the exhibition to showcase your work. Will keep you posted.
Have a happy and creative month ahead.
'Waiho i te toipoto, Kaua i te toiroa - Let us keep close together not far apart' (from Mauri Ora, Wisdom of the Maori World - Alsop and Kupenga)

14/08/2023

Kia Ora artists
Have a happy and creative month - from the He Kete Kotahi, He Whenu Maha team.

'Waiho I te toi poto, Kauai I te toiroa. Let us keep close together not far apart.' (Mauri Ora, Wisdom from the Maori World, Alsop and Kupenga)

08/08/2023

As in 2022, the Rotorua Multicultural Council is collaborating with the organisers of the He Kete Kotahi - He Whenu Mana One Basket Many Strands art exhibition which will take place at The Arts Village from 20 April to 18 May 2024. Artists will be invited to submit two and three dimensional work and there will be categories with prizes for children, youth, and adults.

The theme of the exhibition will be two quotes from Albert Einstein:

* Everything is Connected
* Creativity is Intelligence Having Fun.

Please LIKE the He Kete Kohati - He Whenu Mana page for inspiration and regular updates on the art submission process and the deadlines for each step.

At a planning meeting: Margriet Theron, Linda Tokona, Astrid Bunne-Namdari, Trish De Muth, and Leidy Monsalves. Also present: Yumiko Kawano.

14/07/2023

He Kete Kotahi, He Whenu Maha, One Basket Many Strands - 2024 Rotorua exhibition 20th April - 18th May 2024. Theme: 'We are All Connected' (Albert Einstein). We look forward to working with and alongside you - Together we are Better :)

24/06/2023

Kia ora Linda Tokona, you have full access to this page to post and promote here.You need to switch your facebook profile to this one, in order to post as this page.
Facebook allows you the option to do it at anytime you feel. :)
Trish De Muth, you have been sent another invitation to accept to also be our facebook administrator here on this page also with full access. :)