During her time at Ilam she was tutored by Don Peebles and Bill Sutton and graduated in 1973 with a Diploma in Fine Art (Honours) majoring in painting. Whilst at the University of Canterbury Kura, alongside Eruera Nia and Tame Iti became involved in Nga Tamatoa (Tuatoru) Christchurch chapter. Her honours year was supervised by Rudi Gopas and her thesis focused on pre-European Māori art, specifically stone tool carving. Kura states: At the time it was restricting for Māori women to research carving because of the restriction of being a male-only area. Today we are informed by Tohunga Whakairo that women have always carved. As Māori women we have to redefine our past so that we know where we stand now.