Public Sculpture Trail

Sculpture in the City: Wellington Waterfront and Wharf

Take a closer look at some of the landmark sculptures, such as Tanya Ashken’s Albatross (1982), that enhance Wellington’s open spaces. Our waterfront is rich in sculpture telling us stories about place, culture, identity and artists. Students will engage with ideas around public art, sculpture and interpreting artwork. 

Key competencies Thinking, Using language symbols and texts, managing self, relating to others
Curriculum strands Visual Arts: Understanding the arts in context, Communicating and interpreting, Developing practical knowledge, Developing ideas.
Achievement objectives Visual art: Level 1-2: Share ideas about how and why works are made and their purpose, value and context. Share ideas, feelings and stories communicated by objects and images. Level 3-4: Investigate the purpose of objects and images and identify the contexts in which they are made viewed and valued. Explore and describe ways in which meanings can be communicated and interpreted. Level 5-6: Investigate and analyse the relationship between the production of artworks and the contexts in which they are made, viewed and valued. Investigate, analyse, and evaluate ideas and interpret artist’s intentions in artworks. Level 7-8: Use research and analysis to investigate contexts, meanings, intentions, and technological influences related to the making and valuing of artworks. Research and analyse how art works are constructed and presented to communicate meanings. Use critical analysis to interpret, respond to and evaluate art works.

Programme Content Students will:

  • Participate in a sculpture trail. Engage in an introduction to the sculptures including information about the artist, art style, artwork themes, art making techniques and public context
  • Respond to what they see articulating their own ideas, thoughts, feelings, and interpretations of the artworks.
  • Learn about different types of public sculpture: figurative and historical, abstract, static and kinetic, temporary and site specific.
  • Develop understandings about relationships between public art works and the context they are situated within; physical/landscape/environment, political, cultural, social, etc.
  • Create their own drawings in response to what they see.

 Sculpture Trail Teachers' Resource Kit