Ken Gorbey

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Gorbey in 2014

Kenneth Coulton Gorbey CNZM (born 1942) is a New Zealand museum director and consultant. He has designed and created exhibitions at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and the Jewish Museum Berlin.

Early life[]

Gorbey was born in 1942 and grew up in Maungatautari.[1][2] He studied at the University of Auckland where he graduated with a Master of Arts degree in archaeology.[2]

Career[]

Gorbey commenced his career with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust in 1968 by conducting an archaeological survey of the Kapuni natural gas pipeline route.[2][3]

From 1969 to 1983, he was director of the Waikato Museum in Hamilton.[2] From there he became head of exhibition planning for the new Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Te Papa) where he worked with Cliff Whiting, Jock Phillips, Cheryl Sotheran and Nigel Cox.[2] He held that position for 15 years.[2]

In 1999, he was engaged by Mike Blumenthal to design the exhibitions for the Jewish Museum Berlin, where he became project director and deputy president.[4] His vision was to create a museum that did not concentrate solely on the Holocaust, but told Jewish history using storytelling and as "magical theatre".[2][5] To this end he hired his colleague from Te Papa, writer Nigel Cox, to work with him.[2]

Since 1984, Gorbey has continued to work as a consultant on museum projects.[2][6][7]

Honours and awards[]

In the 2007 Queen's Birthday Honours, Gorbey was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to museums.[8]

References[]

  1. ^ "Gorbey, Ken, 1942–". tiaki.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i Gorbey, Ken (2020). Te Papa to Berlin: the making of two museums. Dunedin. ISBN 1-988592-37-2. OCLC 1139651808.
  3. ^ Lawrence, Joan; Prickett, Nigel (1984). "Excavations at Pukearuhe (N99/49), North Taranaki, 1968". Records of the Auckland Institute and Museum. 21: 1–32. ISSN 0067-0464 – via JSTOR.
  4. ^ Filler, Martin (1 October 2001). "Into the Void". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  5. ^ "Anti-Semitism Debate Reaches the Art World". Deutsche Welle DW.COM. 29 May 2002. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  6. ^ "'Think beyond a museum as a building,' says expert visiting Tauranga". NZ Herald. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  7. ^ Gorbey, Ken (2009). "Te Ahu Concept Design Review Report 2009" (PDF).
  8. ^ "Queen's Birthday honours list 2007". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 4 June 2007. Retrieved 15 November 2020.

External links[]

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