News | 25 March 2020
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Accessing the arts from your couch

It’s no secret that Wellingtonians are spoilt for choice when it comes to arts and culture, and there’s no need to go without your daily dose during the lockdown period.

Wellington is a city of art and culture.
Wellington is a city of art and culture.

Here are some neat things to do and view while hanging out at home:

Discover what the Wellington City Art Collection has to offer, with paintings, photography, sculpture and other media spanning from the 19th Century to these modern (and unprecedented) times. You can access the collection here: https://wellingtoncityartcollectiononline.gallery/

Some of the pieces in the City Art Collection can even be viewed on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/wgtn_city_art_collection/

If you’re up for some critical thinking around art, explore the Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi Collection of Victoria University of Wellington on eHive: https://ehive.com/collections/3332/adam-art-gallery

Learn a thing or two while browsing almost 800,000 artworks, taonga, photographs, collection objects, and botanical and zoological specimens – including dinosaur teeth – from Te Papa’s Collections Online website: https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/

While sitting at home you may notice a wall that needs brightening up. Why not visit NZ Art Show’s online gallery? Connect with emerging Kiwi artists and purchase directly from them: https://www.artshow.co.nz

Discover Wellington’s unique past by visiting Archives Online and browsing some of the more than 500,000 items recording 150 years of Wellington history: https://archivesonline.wcc.govt.nz/

Keep the little ones entertained with some online readings of children’s stories from New Zealand and around the world:http://wcl.govt.nz/kids/downloads.html

Feeling creative? Want to rearrange your bookshelf or learn a new craft? Get ideas, book recommendations, kids' activities and more from the Wellington City Libraries Pinterest page https://www.pinterest.nz/wcllibrary/

Take a trip down memory lane and beyond on the Wellington City Recollect website, a database of heritage photos, books, maps and related ephemera reflecting the Capital's past https://wellington.recollect.co.nz/

Lots of artists and musicians are live streaming gigs from their living rooms to keep people’s spirits up. Make sure to turn on your social media notifications so you don’t miss out on seeing your favourite performers go live!

For all the latest information and advice on COVID-19 see the Ministry of Health website.

Remember to look out for yourself and others, be kind to one another, and stay connected with friends and loved ones through phone and internet.

And remember, if you begin to feel unwell, contact Healthline for free on 0800 358 5453, or your GP. The symptoms of COVID-19 are cough, fever, and shortness of breath.