We have extended the show for an additional week due to popular demand, visit Morrinsville Gallery until Sunday 29 June.

UNSUNG HEROES – In Plain Sight

A photographic exhibition
27 May – 29 Jun 2025

Adrian Cook

·         We have extended the show for an additional week due to popular demand, visit Morrinsville Gallery until Sunday 29 June.

 ·         This show travelled to Hamilton for the Volunteering Waikato Awards Night. We are very proud of the amazing volunteers from our Matamata-Piako District who represented our wonderful local community.

The Morrinsville Gallery is delighted to extend for one week more a photography exhibition that showcases the invisible heroes in our Matamata Piako District with an art show never before seen in the Waikato: Unsung Heroes: In Plain Sight. Join us for very last week of this exciting show until Sunday 29 June, 3 PM.

From May 27 to June 29, 2025, artist Adrian Cook is showcasing unique wet plate collodion images. These images are honouring the everyday heroes who make a difference in the communities of Te Aroha, Matamata, and Morrinsville.

With the support of Volunteering Waikato and under Adrian Cook’s leadership, the Matamata Piako District community has actively nominated 23 volunteers to be featured in this exhibition.

With the nominees’ consent, their images are being displayed alongside descriptions of their journeys and the organizations they support.

As a volunteer-based organization, Morrinsville Gallery proudly recognizes the invaluable contributions of our volunteers in the Matamata-Piako District. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the generous supporters who have made this exhibition possible: Adrian Cook, Volunteering Waikato, the Harcourts Foundation, MPD Creative Communities, MPDC, Visa Legal, Power Farming, CWG Law, Imagine If Creative Studios, and Rural Urban Surveyors. Thank you for your support!

All the images Courtesy of Adrian Cook Photography.

Adrian Cook statement: IN PLAIN SIGHT – A Portrait of Volunteerism

Volunteers are all around us—working tirelessly, shaping our communities, and making an impact in ways that often go unnoticed. Their dedication is woven into the fabric of our daily lives, yet they remain almost invisible unless we take the time to look closely.

This series of portraits was created using the wet plate collodion process, a 19th-century photographic technique that produces images on glass.  As ambrotypes, these portraits exist in a unique state – when held to the light, they appear as negatives, ghostly and translucent, much like the quiet, unrecognized efforts of volunteers. But with the simple addition of a dark background, the image transforms into a positive – fully formed, vivid and alive.

This shift from invisible to visible is at the heart of this exhibition. Volunteers are always in plain sight, yet their work often blends into the background. Only when we pause and focus do we see the full picture—the dedication, the sacrifice, and the quiet impact they have on our lives. By presenting these portraits on glass, I invite viewers to look closer –  to see beyond the surface and truly recognize the individuals who dedicate themselves to the service of others.

These are the faces of our community’s unseen force. They have always been here. This is their moment to be seen.

Adrian Cook  is an award-winning portrait and documentary photographer and has worked for major advertising agencies and magazines worldwide. Uninspired by the predictability and monotony of digital photography, Adrian began taking photographs using the wet plate collodion process in an effort to recreate the aesthetic qualities and characteristics lost with the demise of film. He now works on personal projects and advertising campaigns using wet plate techniques, both in the studio and on-the-road from his mobile darkroom. For an overview of Adrian’s work and contact details, please visit www.adriancookphotography.com

About Volunteering Waikato 
Volunteering Waikato connects people with meaningful volunteering opportunities, from Hamilton to towns across the wider Waikato. They support community organisations by promoting roles, sharing resources, and strengthening the impact of volunteering. Whether individuals wish to give back by contributing their time and skills, or community organisations needing support to grow – Volunteering Waikato helps make it happen.

About the Morrinsville Gallery
The Morrinsville Art Gallery Charitable Trust proudly celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2025 as the heart of community art in the Matamata-Piako District. We are passionate about creating a welcoming and vibrant space for both locals and visitors in Morrinsville and throughout the beautiful Waikato region.

As a non-profit organization, we rely entirely on community support. Our efforts would not be possible without the help of donors, volunteers, and community members like you. Thank you for being an integral part of our community and our story.