Usually Te Papa's exhibitions are months, if not years, in the planning - but it had just weeks to bring together a large-scale exhibition allowing people to get up close to award winning World of Wearable Art garments. It's taken a team of 40, including WOW staff, technical experts and installers working right up to this weekend's official opening. WoW was cancelled in 2020, a big financial and cultural loss for Wellington, so the exhibition WOW Close UP is a kind of bridge to the next show, scheduled for 2021. A big effort's gone into the presentation of the selected garments, with a massive lighting rig and moving images on the gallery walls. Creating that feeling of walking into a stage spectacular is Stephen Blackburn - while Heather Palmer is WOW's Competition Director who's been with the event since day one.