Culture 101

Banksy's street art and graffiti is some of the most recognisable and iconic images of the modern art world. Although his work started in the 90s in Bristol, Banksy's identity remains a mystery.

This week for our Regional Wrap on Culture 101 we visit the beautiful Waikanae River on the Kapiti Coast, and the settlements on its banks of Waikanae and Otaihanga.

Weaver, sculptor and academic, Maureen Lander, is currently exhibiting at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery in New Plymouth. But as the title suggests He Tukutuku Auahatanga: Maureen Lander with Community, it isn't just Maureen alone but rather a collaboration with more than 100 artists and 70 children to create four large-scale fibre installations. 

Can we control the weather? Or, do we need to get better again at reading it for ourselves, rather than relying on technology? 

Madeleine Chapman will be stepping down from her role as editor of news and culture website The Spinoff later this year.

It's one of the greatest and most famous love stories and we already know how it ends before it begins. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is now on stage with ATC, re-envisioned in a 60s thriller, high fashion style.

Each week Culture 101 puts the spotlight on a different part of the country for our regional wrap. Today Perlina heads to Greytown - which is celebrating it's Festival of Christmas and heading into the final week.

Artist Jo Randerson calls them Secret Art Powers. Superpowers that everyone, individually and collectively, has access to. 

Most people will recognise former All Blacks hooker Keven Mealamu for his sporting success but now, a decade after retiring he's gone from the All Blacks to the Arts Council; being appointed to the board of CNZ earlier this year. 

If you've travelled along Transmission Gully, north of Poneke Wellington - you might have noticed through your side window giant objects starting to pop up on the western hills north of Pauatahanui. These are on the property of well-known economist, businessman and philanthropist Gareth Morgan and his whanau. 

Arts news for 13 July 2025.

As avid op shoppers will know, secondhand and antique stores still turn up treasures.

MOTAT's Te Puawānanga Exhibtion was recently named International Exhibition of the Year at the Museum and Heritage Awards in London. 

This week - we're heading south to Mosgiel - and more specifically to Taieri. Matt Brennan is starring as Inspector Pratt in Taieri Dramatic Society's production of Peter Gordon's Death by Fatal Murder. Booking l Fire Station Theatre - Home of the Taieri Dramatic Society

The Youth America Grand Prix - The YAGP is one of the world's largest competitions for ballet dancers hoping to land scholarships around the world.  

Last month, the grand reopening of the Oceania Wing at the Metropolitan Musem of Art in New York saw Kiwis and locals gather to celebrate 500 years of art from 140 indigenous countries. Expats and art lovers flocked to the Met and New Zealand, New York-based chef, Anthony Hoy Fong, was tasked to represent Aotearoa. His food stall was part of a large pop-up showcasing culinary traditions from acros...

From a farm in Waikato to the frontlines of the Ukraine war, former Newshub Europe correspondent Lisette Reymer never expected to be using her hostile environments training when taking on the job.

Ranging from whale vomit to Victorian mourning jewellery, Una Cruickshank's often astonishing book of essays The Chthonic Cycle meditates on the wonders of the earth and our use and abuse of them.

Gabrielle Huria is Ngai Tuahuriri and Ngai Tahu and lives with her whanau at Tuahiwi in North Canterbury.  She is part of a major new exhibition created by Ngai Tahu with photographer Anne Noble at Dunedin Public Art gallery until October, Unutai e! Unutai e! and has just published her debut collection of poetry Pakiaka with Canterbury University Press. She spoke with Culture 101's Mark Amery.

 Faye Saunders is the owner of The Little Gallery in Tairua and joins Culture 101.

Keith Moon's drum kit, a child's rocking horse, a Vivienne Westwood gown, buddhas, a slice of a '70s housing estate, the David Bowie archive: it's no wonder the Victoria and Albert's brand new East London storage facility is being dubbed the 'Museum of Absolutely Everything'. 

Brydie Colquhoun speaks to Culture 101 about Rongo Whakapā​,

Evan Mantyk the Society of Classical Poets joins Culture 101.

This week I put on a suit. No ordinary suit. A motion capture suit, in the studios of the Victoria University of Wellington Miramar Creative Centre. It's next door to the likes of Weta Digital and Park Road Post, enabling a new generation of filmmakers to learn within the cutting edge environment that gave Wellywood its nickname. 

Following WWII, there was a strong push and a solid foundation to provide arts education to both teachers and children in schools. Art advisers supported and inspired teachers while many early-career artists trained at The Auckland College of Education; which later become the Faculty of Education and would merge with Auckland University.