‘He Kete Kotahi’ art exhibition in Rotorua
The friends in Rotorua, in collaboration with two other organisations, have masterfully organised an art exhibition in two parts titled “He Kete Kotahi He Whenu Maha — One Basket Many Strands”. The theme is “The oneness of humanity and the beauty and strength of our diversity”. The inspiration for this arose as a way to honour the Centenary of the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
Exhibition poster. The featured image for this story shows a portion of the poster.
The first ‘taster exhibition’ in November 2021 lasted a week and featured 35 pieces of artwork by 25 artists. It was opened by a dedication event hosted by the Bahá’í community. The two speakers from the wider community (Kaumatua Dr Ken Kennedy from Te Arawa and Margriet Theron, president of the Rotorua Multicultural Council) spoke very highly about the Faith, while the Person of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was elaborated upon by a Bahá’í speaker who was one of the organisers. Some 55 people attended this uplifting event. An even larger exhibition will run from 4–26 March, ending with an awards ceremony. It will feature 170 artworks, which will fill three galleries at the Rotorua Arts Village. Along with the Rotorua Bahá’í community, the event is co-sponsored by Rotorua Multicultural Council and Creative Rotorua.
Links to social media items about the exhibition are provided at the end of this article.
The website of Rotorua Arts Village gives this description:
“These exhibitions [were] created in the honour of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the son of the Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, whose life was dedicated to the social and spiritual transformation of the world, particularly the unity and harmony of all ethnicities and races. He is seen as an Exemplar by millions of people around the world and a true champion of justice. November 2021 [marked] the centenary commemoration of His passing. There will be a people’s choice award and a youth award for those 18 years and under.”
Planning by the Bahá’í community began in November 2020 and early on included members from the wider community, particularly from the Rotorua Multicultural Council, who contributed three members to the organising committee. The initiative has received generous funding assistance from other organisations.
Social media
The Facebook page for the exhibition is here: https://www.facebook.com/He-Kete-Kotahi-He-Whenu-Maha-One-Basket-Many-Strands-103253568987837
A podcast made by the Arts Village interviewed one of the Bahá’í organisers, with the Faith featuring prominently in the interview. The podcast is now available here:
https://www.artsvillage.org.nz/villagepodcast/
A promotional video:
