Rate My Professor Robyn Notman

Robyn Notman is the Head Curator of Art and Photography Collections at Hocken Collections Te Uare Taoka o Hākena, University of Otago, a role she assumed in March 2017. She manages a vast collection encompassing approximately 17,000 artworks and 2 million photographic items, which celebrate the histories, cultures, and natural environments of Aotearoa New Zealand, the Pacific, and Antarctica. Notable holdings include works by prominent New Zealand artists such as Colin McCahon and Ralph Hotere. Notman's curatorial efforts focus on stimulating ideas and associations through diverse objects, engaging academics, students, artists, curators, and the general public.

Prior to her current position, Notman worked for 20 years at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery, holding positions such as Public Programmes Manager and Programme and Collections Manager. Since joining Hocken, she has curated several impactful exhibitions. In 2017, for the Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival, she presented an exhibition exploring connections between artists and writers, featuring McCahon's 16-piece The Wake with John Caselberg's poem, pieces by Ralph Hotere, Joanne Paul, and Cilla McQueen, alongside rare books and poems by Sam Hunt. In 2019, she co-curated A Garden of Earthly Delights with Heather Straka, sourcing items from various University of Otago collections; this family-friendly show, including sculpture, film, and works on paper, drew record visitor numbers. Additional exhibitions include Drift, spanning late 17th to 21st-century works; Artists and Letters: Pictures and Words (2024, with colleagues); and contributions to NOM*d: The Art of Fashion. Notman also authors articles for the University of Otago Magazine, such as Hocken Legacy pieces and Painterly Puzzle, spotlighting collection treasures.