Cricut partners with Māori artists for Matariki charity designs

Techday NZ

19 hours ago

Cricut has announced a partnership with Māori artists Josh Kiwikiwi, Tayla Hartemink and Talia Musson to launch a Matariki-themed collection in Cricut Design Space, with proceeds from the designs supporting Indigenous charities.
The partnership, now in its second year with Josh Kiwikiwi and expanded to include Tayla Hartemink and Talia Musson, makes available a series of Māori designs through the Cricut ANZ Designs profile on the Design Space app. Every time a member of the global Cricut community uses one of the designs to create a custom item, all design proceeds will be donated to the Māori Women's Welfare League, Ngā Rangatahi Toa, and Te Houtaewa Māori Charitable Trust, with each charity nominated by the contributing artists.
This initiative coincides with the celebration of Matariki, the Māori New Year, and aims to both support Māori communities and increase the visibility of Māori art and storytelling in digital spaces worldwide.
Matariki significance
Reflecting on the importance of the project, artist Tayla Hartemink said: "Matariki is a special time for Māori. It holds space for our mātauranga, our wairua, and our pride in being Māori. Creatively, I love how Matariki opens up so many stories - each star holding meaning that connects us to our environment, our loved ones, and our future."
Hartemink's comments reflect the focus on both tradition and contemporary digital dissemination, with the collection aiming to bring unique stories tied to Matariki to an international audience through creative technology.
Sharing knowledge and stories
On the potential for Cricut to support Māori art, Josh Kiwikiwi said: "Sharing Indigenous knowledge through platforms like Cricut allows us to honour the past while embracing the future. It's a beautiful way to keep our stories alive - accessible not just to our own people, but to others who want to engage with and respect Māori culture. Platforms like Cricut create space for Māori and other Indigenous artists to have our stories heard and seen in new, dynamic ways. It's a new kind of storytelling, but one deeply rooted in our traditions."
Kiwikiwi's statement highlights the importance of ensuring that Māori stories and traditions are not only preserved within local communities but are also made accessible to a global audience in an authentic and respectful manner.
Global reach for Indigenous traditions
Artist Talia Musson emphasised the relevance of digital platforms in the continuation and sharing of traditional Māori knowledge: "Platforms like Cricut create a space for indigenous artists to continue those traditions in new and exciting ways. By sharing our designs, we're not only keeping these traditions alive, but we're also inviting others in. It's an opportunity to educate, to inspire, and to strengthen the visibility and voice of indigenous artists on a global scale".
The artists' designs are accessible via the Cricut Design Space app, which is used to power all Cricut cutting machines. The Contributing Artist Program (CAP) underpins this collaboration, enabling artists to sell their images to Cricut's global community of millions. Under the program, artwork from CAP artists is available to Cricut Access subscribers at no added cost, while other members can purchase designs individually.
Supporting Māori communities
The charities benefiting from the initiative include the Māori Women's Welfare League, which focuses on the support of Māori women and their whānau, Ngā Rangatahi Toa, which connects students with education and employment through art and wellbeing programmes, and Te Houtaewa Māori Charitable Trust, which provides relief and support throughout Northland guided by the Māori wellness concept Te Whare Tapa Whā.
Cricut has also pledged to match all design usage donations made through June and July 2025, further supporting these nominated organisations.
Nicola Dow-Smith, Region Director at Cricut, commented on the collaboration, stating: "We are thrilled to be a part of this incredible initiative for another year and to be able to continue to support the Māori community this Matariki Day. It's wonderful to be able to showcase incredible local artists like Josh, Tayla, and Talia through the Contributing Artist Program, and share their digital designs with our community to make, is a way for us to do our part to honour and respect Māori traditions and culture and keep indigenous storytelling alive, whilst also supporting local communities. "We hope this partnership will be a catalyst for greater recognition and representation within the Cricut community for Māori culture and designs, furthering Cricut's commitment to creativity, community, and celebrating diversity."
This collaboration with Māori artists through Cricut's platform seeks to provide practical support for charitable causes while making Māori artistic culture and stories accessible to a broad, international audience of makers and creators.