Shane Cotton, a leading NZ contemporary artist at two day waituhi wananga for EIT students.

Students at EIT Tairāwhiti’s Toihoukura, School of Māori Art, are constantly exposed to the very best in the business.

World-recognised artists are regular visitors at the art hub, where many of the former students have gone on to great  things themselves.

Most recently, it was Shane Cotton, who is widely regarded as one of the biggest names in contemporary New Zealand art. Before him Toihoukura had ceramist Manos Nathan, paper making specialist Glenda Hape, potter Baye Riddell and academics Dr David Butts and Mike Spedding.

The lecturers are also highly-regarded at international level – Steve Gibbs, Christina Wirihana and Derek Lardelli are well recoginsed in their respective fields on and off shore.

Gibbs says it is all part of attracting the best to inspire the students.

“We aim to get the very best artists possible, and a lot of that is based on the networks from our 20-odd years of operating,” says Gibbs.

“It is a very small community at the top, and that is why our networks are so valuable.”

The link between all of the visiting artists, Toihoukura and the students is education.

“We are all involved in education and art – education is not something new . . . it is well trodden and we are following that pathway.”

Many of the visiting artists are Māori and have the ability to connect with the up-andcoming young artists. The value of visits by artists of Shane Cotton’s calibre are evident.

“When Shane (Cotton) left there were around 50 paintings in various stages of completion,” says Gibbs.

Toihoukura has a mixture of around 65 diploma, degree and post degree students.

“Our students need to walk the walk and talk the talk – these (visiting) artists have done the ‘hard yards’. When it comes to art, it is about getting out there and doing it.”