New Guinea Art specializes in providing artifacts from Papua New Guinea. These artifacts are for the discerning collector who has a love of tribal art and artifacts.
How did oceanic art end up in South Dakota?
Joe Maierhauser has been the President and CEO of Reptile Gardens in Rapid City, South Dakota since 1994 and is an avid collector of Oceanic Art. When he's not researching opportunities to acquire new specimens for the Reptile Gardens collection, increase their medley of botanicals and flowering plants, or finding new ways to entertain and accommodate guests, Joe is passionately involved in the collection of New Guinea art and the preservation of this amazing culture.
I want to collect tribal art, but where do I start?
There are many pitfalls and hazards in collecting tribal art. Unscrupulous or just plain ignorant sellers often misrepresent pieces as either old or used when they are neither. What is "quality" tribal art and what isn't? What matters and what doesn't?
What matters is how it makes you feel each time you look at it or hold it in your hands. Does the piece "speak" to you? If an artifact speaks to you then each time you look at it or hold it you will feel connected to it. The same holds true of any type of art.
Moral of the story: Unless you have unlimited funds and want to become a world-renowned tribal art collector, buy what you like at a price you feel is fair. Learn more about New Guinea Art Categories and see a list of Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about this fascinating art.
Visit our New Guinea Art website and the Jungle Outpost to browse through our collection of tribal art and artifacts or look through our collection of artifacts in our warehouse.
Earl in Papua New Guinea
Collecting tribal art from New Guinea is a family tradition. This tradition dates back to the 1960s when Reptile Gardens' globe-trotting founder, Earl Brockelsby first visited the island of Papua New Guinea. Today, Earl’s nephew, Joe Maierhauser continues to uphold this family legacy by collecting the tribal art of this region. The collection of oceanic tribal art on the New Guinea Art website and the Jungle Outpost is unique to Reptile Gardens, and is something you’ll be hard-pressed to find at other Rapid City, SD attractions.
The Jungle Outpost Gallery contains an inventory of hundreds of pieces of oceanic tribal art, which were in New Guinea along the Sepik River, in the Highlands, and Papuan Gulf of Papua New Guinea.
Shop Online
You can also browse our online store to find one of our “Go Wrestle a Gator" shirts!
Supporting the Animals
We want to thank you for every purchase you make at the Reptile Gardens gift shop. Each dollar spent in our gift shop helps provide financial support for our ongoing operations at Reptile Gardens. Your purchases also fund conservation and research initiatives, which help to try and preserve animals and habitats in South Dakota and around the world.
