Media release
Waikato Museum wins national colour award
Posted On: Thursday, 25 August 2011
Waikato Museum was announced as a winner in the Resene Total Colour Awards during a function in Wellington last night.
Waikato Museum scooped the top award – which included a trophy and $1000 in prize money – in the Display & Product category for its use of colour during the ‘Hatching the Past: Dinosaur Eggs + Babies’ exhibition. The
exhibition was toured by Gondwana Studios and exhibited at Waikato Museum from September 2010 to February 2011.
Eleven Resene colours were used in the exhibition space for Hatching the Past, from a ‘dirty’ neutral, through to spicy
warm tones, swampy greens and a mellow minx. The selection aimed to make the space dramatic, yet friendly and inviting
for a family audience. Colour was also used to clearly define the exhibition spaces for visitors – with a jagged line
(resembling a cracked eggshell) spanning the perimeter of the gallery and dinosaur silhouettes featuring on the walls.
Waikato Museum Director Kate Vusoniwailala said the award is a testament to the creative talent of Museum staff,
particularly that of exhibition designer Steph Chalmers.
“Steph was responsible for the interior design and colour selection of Hatching the Past. She did an amazing job of
bringing the exhibition space to life through her bold and dramatic use of colour,” she said.
“In fact Gondwana Studios told us at the time that our presentation of this major international touring show was the
best they had ever seen.”
Over 100 entries were received for this year’s Resene Total Colour Awards, with awards presented in nine categories as
well as a ‘Colour Master – Nightingale Award’ for the best overall use of colour.
ENDS