Te Papa's founding chief executive Dame Cheryll Sotheran has died. Dame Cheryll was appointed as the founding chief executive of the planned Te Papa in 1992 when the New Zealand National Museum and National Art Gallery merged in Wellington. Te Papa chief executive Geraint Martin confirmed that Dame Cheryll died yesterday. Her spirit of innovation, of challenging the status quo, is part of Te Papa's DNA," Martin said. "The opening of Te Papa on 14 February 1998, on time and under budget, can be attributed to Dame Cheryll's determination and vision," said Te Papa's current Kaiautu (Maori leader), Dr Arapata Hakiwai.

Source: Otago Daily Times December 31, 2017 05:15 UTC