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The December Craft Exhibition at the Museum of Tahiti and the Islands

Start date: December 2, 2025

End date: December 31, 2025

Time: 12:00 am - 12:00 am

Location: 380354 Punavai, Punaauia 98718, French Polynesia

More Info

Interior Design and Décor

Every month, the Museum of Tahiti and the Islands — Te Fare Iamanaha — hosts a craft exhibition organized by the Department of Traditional Handicrafts (Te Pū ‘ohipa rima’ī). In December, this annual tradition takes on a special resonance, combining year-end festivities, cultural sharing, and the celebration of local know-how.

A showcase of skills

December brings together a group of artisans from local associations or working independently. Each contributes their own style: weaving, jewelry made from shells or seeds, objects crafted from coconut fiber or mother-of-pearl, traditional adornments, and both decorative and practical items. Traditional techniques meet more contemporary creations, highlighting a vibrant and evolving craft culture.

The exhibition is not only a display of artisanal objects but also features live demonstrations. Visitors can watch the techniques in action, learn about ancestral methods, ask questions, and sometimes even leave with a piece they saw being made. It is an immersive experience, where manual work becomes performance, knowledge, and exchange.

Setting and atmosphere

The exhibition takes place in the museum’s halls or temporary exhibition spaces at Te Fare Iamanaha. The location itself sets a serene backdrop, ideal for reflection. With its ethnobotanical garden, seaside setting, and architecture rooted in Polynesian culture, the museum offers an atmosphere of calm and connection to nature.

In December, the soft light, the scents of plants, and the shade of trees in the museum’s gardens create a unique ambiance. It is the Polynesian holiday season, a time of family gatherings and celebrations. The craft exhibition blends seamlessly into this context, becoming a meeting place for exchange and reconnection.

Goals and significance

Preserving Polynesian cultural heritage: The exhibition helps keep traditional techniques alive — weaving, adornments, and the use of natural materials (shells, seeds, plant fibers).
Showcasing artisans: Often from local communities, these artisans gain a platform to present their work, expand their audience, sell, and share their creations.
Educating and raising awareness: Visitors learn to recognize and appreciate crafts not only as decorative items, but also as carriers of history, culture, and memory.
Strengthening cultural tourism: December is a busy time for visitors, and the exhibition enriches the museum’s cultural offering, encouraging interaction between locals and international tourists.

Practical Information (model, to be confirmed)

Dates: Throughout December, from the 1st to the 31st.
Hours: During museum opening times (typically 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except some days).
Admission: Often included in the museum ticket price, or with a small supplement for temporary exhibitions.
Location: Museum of Tahiti and the Islands — Te Fare Iamanaha, Punaauia (Pointe des Pêcheurs, PK 15).
Audience: Open to all — residents of Tahiti, tourists, families, students, and culture lovers.

The December Craft Exhibition at the Museum of Tahiti and the Islands is more than just a display. It is a moment of cultural communion — a time to (re)discover Polynesian craftsmanship, to see, touch, and understand. It ensures that natural materials and ancestral gestures continue to live on and inspire.

MAP: https://maps.app.goo.gl/P614EyMCSUNhH7jR6