Te Papa Foundation unveils record-breaking fundraising auction
Online Auction Lots include original artwork from this year’s Venice Biennale and dinner with an Olympian athlete.
Te Papa Foundation’s prestigious annual auction returns with a record-breaking total value of donated items.
The online auction hosted by auction house Webb’s features almost 50 lots and will run until 25 November. The live auction will be held at a black-tie gala this weekend.
Most exciting is that this year’s auction features the highest-value collection of donated items in its five-year history.
“Our lineup of donated items totals more than $150,000, the largest amount ever,” says delighted Te Papa Foundation chair Aaron Hape.
“It’s a great chance for people to get their hands on something pretty special, but most importantly, it’s an opportunity to support Te Papa and the work it does on behalf of all New Zealanders.”
Online auction items range from signed copies of Te Papa Press books that retail for around $50, to a meal with Olympian athlete Beatrice Faumuinā CNZM OLY, or Fiona Pardington’s large-scale work ‘Kea, Nestor notabilis’ from her internationally acclaimed Venice Biennale 2026 series Taharaki Skyside, which is valued at $30,000.
The live auction ranges from an Orchestra Wellington 2027 season subscription worth $1,000 through to an all-inclusive stay for four at the luxurious Wharekauhau Country Estate valued at $12,800.
All auction items have been generously donated by organisations and individuals from across the motu.
“We are incredibly grateful to the businesses, artists, and individuals who have donated such fantastic items, and to everyone who gets involved and places a bid,” says Aaron.
Money raised will help to support Te Papa Foundation’s work funding exhibitions, research, and education programmes that ensure New Zealand’s national museum, Te Papa Tongarewa, continues to thrive for generations to come.
The foundation plays a crucial role in helping Te Papa raise the more than $40 million required annually over and above its core government funding.
Te Papa houses the national art collection and major research facility and is kaitiaki (guardian) of more than two million objects across Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge), Natural History, Art, New Zealand Histories, and Pacific Cultures. Its online collection offers access to more than one million of these taonga (treasures).
“Te Papa has an extraordinary responsibility to care for our national collections and taonga, and to preserve and share the stories that help tell us who we are,” says Aaron.
“The money we raise through the foundation helps Te Papa do more of that work and support projects that otherwise might not be possible.”
With the support of private donors, Te Papa Foundation has funded numerous programmes and projects over the years.
For the last few years, the Foundation has been a major sponsor of Te Papa’s summer drawcard exhibition, including Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery, Breathe | Mauri Ora, and this year’s Game Worlds: Whakaaturanga Pureiapo | Playable Exhibition, which opens 12 December.
Another $100,000 went towards building a new paleo lab that has enabled Te Papa curators and technicians to process New Zealand fossils from annual digs in south Taranaki and St Bathans.
Funds have also been allocated to the Matariki learning programme for the last three years and the Taikura Kapa Haka festival in 2023.
“Every dollar we raise makes a real difference to Te Papa,” says Aaron.
“It can help care for our national collections and taonga, support important research and conservation work, and create opportunities for young New Zealanders to experience and learn from their national museum.
“Ultimately, people’s generosity through this auction will help us look after Te Papa and its collections for the generations of New Zealanders who come after us.”
View more about the Te Papa Foundation Online Auction
ENDS
Media contact Heather Byrne | 029 601 0120 | heather.byrne@tepapa.govt.nz
Images and captions
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Fiona Pardington, Taharaki Skyside, Kea framed
Tapa: Pacific Histories in Cloth
Beatrice Faumuinā ONZM, OLY. Photo by Brett Phibbs. New Zealand Herald
Halcombe, 2026 by Karl Maughan. Image courtesy of James Blackie
About Te Papa
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is Aotearoa New Zealand’s much-loved national museum, and in 2025 was recognised by TripAdvisor as the country’s leading visitor attraction, ranking in the top one per cent of experiences worldwide.
Te Papa brings together art, history, science, and Māori and Pacific cultures through immersive, hands-on experiences that invite curiosity and discovery. Its national art gallery houses the country’s national art collection across two floors.
At its heart, Te Papa is a celebration of Māori culture and identity, where visitors can experience contemporary and traditional Māori art, ancestral stories, and exhibitions that offer insight into how Māori culture shapes life in Aotearoa today.
The national museum cares for more than two million objects, is home to a major research centre, and is internationally recognised for its commitment to bicultural practice and the repatriation of Māori and Moriori ancestral remains. Through Te Papa Collections Online, more than one million taonga are accessible to audiences around the world.
About Te Papa Foundation
Te Papa Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Established in 2016, the Foundation raises funds to support the work of Te Papa across conservation, research, exhibitions, and education. All donations are tax-deductible. Te Papa Foundation is a registered charity CC52173. For more information, visit: Donate to Te Papa.