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Become a Friend

The Friends of Waikato Museum are part of the wider Museum family and their support enables the Museum to flourish and grow. Join the Friends for as little as $20 a year, meet like-minded people, receive invitations to special events and openings and enjoy a range of discounts and concessions. There are many benefits associated with membership including:

Membership benefits

  • Friends of Waikato Museum newsletters and advance exhibition information
  • Invitations to exclusive Friends‘ exhibition openings at Waikato Museum
  • Invitations to Friends’ bus trips to galleries, museums and sculpture parks
  • 10% off the admission fee to Waikato Museum’s paid exhibitions, events and activities
  • 10% discount at Waikato Museum’s shop
  • 10% discount on beer from Hamilton Beer & Wine Co
  • 12.5% discount on wine from Hamilton Beer & Wine Co
  • 10% discount at Poppies Bookshop Hamilton
  • 10% discount for NZ Symphony Orchestra concerts on box office prices
  • 10% discount at Gordon Harris Art and Graphic Supplies
  • 10% discount at Auteur House DVD/video rentals
  • 10% discount at Hood Street Bistro.

What does it cost to be a Friend?

  • Individual $30
  • Concession $20 - Super Gold Card holder, full-time student, etc
  • Joint $50 - Any 2 individuals under the age of 65, does not have to be a couple (e.g. mother and daughter)
  • Family $60 -  Any combination of family members (e.g. grandmother and grandchildren). The group gets 4 membership cards that they can share

*rates as of 1 January 2023

Membership Form

For more information contact the Membership Secretary

  • Phone 07 838 6417
  • Email: museumfriends.subscriptions@gmail.com

 

What the Friends' funds are used for

The Friends of the Museum raise funds to support Waikato Museum to "flourish and grow".  Traditionally, over many years, the Friends have gifted works of art to the collection but as storage space has reached capacity, we have worked with our Director, Liz Cotton, to expand the variety of our gifts. 

Recent contributions include:

  • A Merit Award Prize ($1000) at the biennial NZ Contemporary Art Awards
  • Children’s Day performers in music and science ($1000)
  • Refurbishment of the lower floor of Exscite ($5000)
  • Conservation of works in the Museum's collection ($5000)
  • A Museum staff professional development scholarship ($3000)

By becoming a Friend, you are contributing to the many activities the Committee undertakes to make our Museum a welcoming and educational asset to our city.

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Friends of Waikato Museum, we commissioned artist and writer Peter Dornauf to write the first book to recognise the extraordinary contribution of the Waikato's contemporary artists in a broad range of artistic genres.

Peter's book "101 Contemporary Waikato Artists" has now sold out.

 

Friends' Committee members

Current Friends of the Museum Committee members