Massey’s art collection connects with community

But Massey’s art collection is about more than what hangs on the walls. The collection is increasingly being used in teaching and learning, inspiring students and emerging artists, and helping the university connect with schools and communities.

Curator and Community Outreach for Massey’s visual arts collection Mark Kaneko says, “What makes Massey’s art collection special is not just the quality and range of the work, but the opportunities it creates for people to engage with it."

"We use the collection in teaching, bring it into schools, support artists and graduates and give people the chance to encounter original artworks in their everyday environment.”

In Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, secondary school students are experiencing the collection first-hand. Over the past two years, students from Hobsonville Point Secondary School have visited the Ōtehā campus several times to explore the collection and find inspiration for their own creative projects. They then exhibited their work in their community alongside the temporarily relocated original Massey artworks.

Students from Rangitoto College on Auckland’s North Shore have also used the Ōtehā campus gallery for their senior art exhibitions, exhibiting their work in 2025 and 2026, with plans to continue the relationship.

For students, exhibiting in a gallery setting provides the opportunity to share their work with a wider audience and connect with Massey. It also brings new people and fresh energy onto the campus.

Rangitoto College's Head of Department of Visual Arts Paul Stevens says, “We are proud to continue our partnership with Massey University this year after the success of our student exhibition last year, to provide our students with the fantastic opportunity to show work on their Albany campus, not far from our own."

“We hope the community can see the level of quality they are achieving in their work, worthy of being seen by a wide audience in a curated exhibition space like this.”

The collection is also finding its way into Massey’s teaching. At the university's Pukeahu campus, works by artists including Yuki Kihara and Ben Cauchi are being used in teaching, giving students the opportunity to study original artworks as part of their learning.

Massey’s collection has also featured in the Auckland Festival of Photography, including the Toi Rauwhārangi College of Creative Arts (CoCA) Staff Exhibition in 2025 and the CoCA Master's Graduate Exhibition in 2026.

For Massey, the collection is also an important way to support New Zealand artists and create opportunities for graduates and emerging artists.

“Art has a place in a university because universities are about ideas and different ways of seeing the world. Sometimes an artwork can prompt a conversation or make you look at something differently. That’s a valuable part of the university experience,” Mark Kaneko says.

Next year, Massey is also looking at new ways for staff, students and visitors to engage with the collection, including guided art tours that bring some of the stories behind the works to life.