Meet our team
Meet the Mīharo learning team - working across the Gallery and Puke Ariki Museum and Libraries.
Manu Bennett
Pouako Ara Māori, Puke Ariki Museum and Libraries
Ko Aotea te waka. Ko Ruapehu te maunga. Ko Te Awa Tupua o Whanganui
te awa. Ko Te Atihaunui a Pāpārangi te iwi. No Whanganui ahau.
Manu works across both the library and the museum, sharing his
pūkenga (skills) to support a diverse range of learners, including
those at Kura Kaupapa and bilingual students.
What inspired you to pursue a career as a museum/library educator?
Introducing people to the stories behind taonga, inspiring them to learn more and gain a deeper understanding of a subject/object.
What are some of the most rewarding aspects of your job?
Working with like-minded people and learning more about how things are done within the curatorial, exhibitions and the marketing teams.
What challenges do you face in your role, and how do you overcome them?
The best thing that helps overwhelming tasks is the team I work with and the cohesiveness that everyone brings that has streamlined this process.
What is a favourite exhibit or piece of art in the museum/gallery, and why does it resonate with you?
Honestly, my favourite space is the Puke Ariki Garden. It is an onsite, outside classroom that is surrounded by natural materials that we use as a living resource.
How has your perspective on art and history changed since you started working here?
After teaching in the classrooms for many years, I have used personal taonga and artifacts as hands-on learning tools. The museum has reminded me that there are more to taonga than just a learning tool. A great reminder.
Erin Flanigan
Educator, Puke Ariki Museum
Nō Aerani me Ingarangi ōku tupuna.
Ko Te-Tara-o-Te-Ika-a-Māui te whenua tupu.
Erin is deeply passionate about bringing history to life for
ākonga , and over many years has developed a great
knowledge of the stories, objects and taonga at Puke Ariki.
What inspired you to pursue a career as a museum educator?
I have always loved history, for me the past is a place that feels ever-present. I enjoy helping others connect with people of the past, these people have a lot to teach and guide us.
What are some of the most rewarding aspects of your job?
Getting to learn lots of amazing things about people and the world.
What challenges do you face in your role, and how do you overcome them?
We need to quickly be able to teach a huge range of topics to a whole range of age groups. I remind myself I am a museum expert, not an every-single-thing expert. Also I get by with a little help from my friends; I work with a very collaborative and supportive group of people.
What is a favourite exhibit or piece of art in the museum/gallery, and why does it resonate with you?
There is a preserved piharau (lamprey) in a jar that used to be display but isn’t any more. Piharau are incredible creatures that many people never get to see. Learning about piharau was a real mīharo moment for me and having a real one I was able to examine felt really special.
How has your perspective on art and history changed since you started working here?
Working for a long time in museums, I am fascinated by how the way we talk about certain historical events changes so much over time as new evidence comes to light and more perspectives are learned and included.
Chris Barry
Educator, Govett Brewster Art Gallery | Len Lye Centre
Sharing Art Gallery experiences with the second generation of visitors, Chris is a true “Master of Explaining Tricky Stuff” and absolutely rules at creating the most engaging and fun creative experiences in the art room.
What inspired you to pursue a career as a museum/art gallery educator?
I enjoy helping people, especially tamariki, create their own meaningful experiences when face-to-face with art.
What are some of the most rewarding aspects of your job?
Kids desperate to share their ideas with classmates and their pride when showing me their creation. And working with my very generous fellow kaiako.
What challenges do you face in your role, and how do you overcome them?
Our biggest challenge is convincing teachers that the Gallery offers amazing learning experiences for their ākonga. The Arts are minority status subjects in mainstream education, so we need to help teachers see links to other curriculum areas.
What is a favourite exhibit or piece of art in the museum/gallery, and why does it resonate with you?
I try not to play favourites. I’m very fortunate at the Govett-Brewster | Len Lye Centre because most of exhibitions are very open propositions, their meaning has not been fixed, which is excellent ground for switching on the imagination and having an adventure for an hour and a half with tamariki.
How has your perspective on art and history changed since you started working here?
I’ve become more sensitive to the importance of art and art galleries connecting with communities. The opening of the Len Lye Centre has helped attract a wider audience, including education programmes linked to more curriculum areas.
Tara-Lee Manu
Pouako Ara Māori, Govett-Brewster Art Gallery | Len Lye Centre
We are delighted to welcome Tara-Lee Manu to our team for the year as our Art Gallery Pouako Ara Māori.
He māmā, ringatoi, kairangahau, me te kaiwhakaako hou i te whare toi. Ahakoa nō Te Tai Tokerau e whāngai ana au nā koro Taranaki, I tīpu ake au kei Ngāmotu. Ko tāku toi e tāea ana ki te mātauranga Māori, ā, e unuhia ana i ngā wāhi o te ao, e unu ai hoki i ngā tukanga pērā i te hanga rongoā, tae, me ngā pigment mai i ngā rauemi ako, me te whenua, hei whakaaro ki ngā tukanga ka mau, ka tuku i ngā kōrero o te whenua.
I te rangi o te Māori Visual Art i Toioho ki Apiti, i Massey University, kei roto aku mahi i tēnei wā, ko te ahua kākahu, maara kai, me te toi Māori — ko enei kātoa ka awe i āku mahi. He aroha nōku mō te hanga wāhi ka whakatipu ai te toi, tikanga, me te hono ki te whenua hei painga, kia tino whai wāhi te tamariki me ngā rangatahi.
I am a māmā, artist, researcher and new educator at Govett-Brewster Art Gallery | Len Lye Centre.. Although my tūpuna are from Te Tai Tokerau I grew up in here in Ngāmotu. My creative practice is grounded in mātauranga Māori and draws inspiration from the natural world — I use methods such as creating inks,
dyes, and pigments from plant-based materials, and whenua, focusing on how these processes carry and communicate the stories of our landscape.
As a graduate of Māori Visual Art at Toioho ki Apiti, Massey University, my background spans fashion, indigenous food sovereignty, and toi Māori — all of which shape how I approach my mahi. I’m passionate about creating spaces where creativity, tikanga, and connection to whenua can grow, especially for our
tamariki and rangatahi.
Tāne Manukonga
Educator, Puke Ariki
Tāne brings specialist science teaching skills and experience which will pave the way for new learning adventures and directions for schools visiting Puke Ariki.
Anei a Nga Mahanga a Tairi heke iho ki nga Marae o Tarawainuku, o Okorotua e mihi kau ana ki te kahui pae whakahaere i enei o nga turanga. Ko Tane Manukonga toku ingoa, he mokopuna tenei a kui a koro ma huri noa I te maunga titohea o koro Taranaki me ki Taranaki Whanui.
I’m a passionate educator dedicated to creating learning experiences that are engaging, inclusive, and accessible for all ages. My background spans teaching in engineering, retail, Māori organic food systems, and conservation—bringing together a rich blend of knowledge that connects culture with environmental awareness.
Over the past 10 years, I’ve worked alongside iwi, hapū, schools, community groups, and whānau to co-design meaningful learning journeys. Bridging the past with the present and weave together culture, science, and environmental awareness in ways that feel real, grounded, and empowering.
I’m dedicated to crafting learning experiences here at Puke Ariki for your students and look forward to supporting the learning of all ages.
Rebecca Fawkner
Learning Supervisor, Govett Brewster Art Gallery | Len Lye Centre and Puke Ariki Museum
Rebecca brings over 20 years of experience in the art gallery field. One of her proudest achievements is her book Ziggle, a Len Lye activity book based on learning activities at the Len Lye Centre.
What inspired you to pursue a career as a museum/art gallery educator?
From the time when I visited the Gallery and Museum as a kid at West End School it always looked like my dream job, and so it is.
What are some of the most rewarding aspects of your job?
When a student really gets it! Especially when a teacher tells me how delighted they were to see a new side of a student.
What challenges do you face in your role, and how do you overcome them?
Keeping up with all the administrative tasks required for communicating with schools and booking classes can be challenging. My heart sinks when I hear that schools have missed out on an opportunity. Our Mīharo programme is an exciting new initiative designed to help us spread the word more effectively.
What is a favourite exhibit or piece of art in the museum/gallery, and why does it resonate with you?
I recently spotted a wonderful carved figure from an ancient pataka in Takapou Whariki that was found on a farm near where I live. Investigating that area further and imagining the people living there is a delight.
How has your perspective on art and history changed since you started working here?
Don’t form an opinion too soon about an artwork. Often, I don’t connect with a piece initially, but then I change my perspective and start to enjoy it after hearing someone else explain why they love it.