You are in an underwater submarine, looking through a porthole window and you see an enormous shark! Will it be smiling through sharp teeth or eyeing you up as a tasty morsel? Don’t miss this special opportunity to sew an underwater sea adventure alongside the wonderous textile artist Mary Kelleher!
Join Mary Kelleher in her amazing mobile sewing van at the museum this summer! Dive into a hands-on workshop where you'll create your own epic shark scene inspired by the Manukau Harbour of Stories - a mural book created by Mary that illustrates the rich history of the Manukau.
Stretching out to three meters wide, the book holds special treasures sewn into its pages, each telling a different story about the history of the Manukau. Among these tales, Mary particularly loved stitching the shark which is based on the Pou Whenua in Karamatura Valley. The textures mimic a real shark emerging from the water and are the inspiration for these children’s workshops.
20 and 21 Jan at 12:30pm & 1:15pm | Free, drop-ins welcome
Join the Wise Bird of the Waitakere for a singing, storytelling adventure through the Manukau Harbour of Stories mural book. Timed to complement our "View from my Submarine" sewing workshop, all tamariki are invited to join in the fun.
Described as “an artist who paints with fabric," Mary taught herself to sew at just 8 years old. These days she runs the “Sew Your Story” programme which teaches and develops a feel for how fabric and stitching can communicate and support identity, culture, language and literacy. “I am passionate about giving these skills to young people, to learn the joy of stitching with a story behind it” says Mary.
