‘School Journal’ exhibition gets to the art of the matter

18 September 2023

The exhibition is a rich, curated resource to learn more about:

• the iconic artists who created the artworks

• the history of School Publications

• how the artworks became part of our holdings.

View the School Publications artwork online exhibition

Artist Dick Frizzell describes the ‘School Journal’ artworks as ‘an unofficial history of New Zealand Art' and it's easy to understand why.

Many people may remember one of the most well-known and beloved school publications, ‘School Journal’, which spans over 100 years and is still being produced today. From the 1940s until the mid-2000s, over 3,000 artists have contributed to the ‘School Journal’ and other educational publications, producing thousands of artworks.

We’ve selected a group of influential artists to feature in this exhibition including:

• Cliff Whiting

• Robyn Kahukiwa

• Gavin Bishop

• Anne McCahon

• E. Mervyn Taylor

• Dick Frizzell

• Ans Westra

• Dame Robin White.

Artist biographies from this exhibition, written by curator and arts writer Sian van Dyk, provide a beautiful insight into the artists’ mahi with the ‘School Journal’ and their wider contributions to society.

Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga Ministry of Education and Learning Media — the company that published the ‘School Journal’ — stored these artworks from 1990 to 2012.

We administer the Public Records Act 2005. One of our functions is to hold and care for public archives — records of significance created by or for the New Zealand Government. Through the process of archival appraisal, Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga Ministry of Education — along with the Chief Archivist — decided that these original artworks are a taonga of national significance. And we should care for this taonga and manage access to it.

Looking at this collection as an archival record, it provides evidence and a narrative of government influence on education, popular culture and the shaping of our social histories across Aotearoa New Zealand and Te Moana-nui-a-kiwa, the Pacific.

These selected artworks represent the tip of the iceberg of the treasure trove of art we hold.

These artworks are held in our Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington repository. They’re all open access and can be viewed under special arrangements with staff.