New Zealand’s Premiere Arts Awards

MEDIA ALERT
26 September 2012

New Zealand’s Premiere Arts Awards - Open to the Public

The 2012 Macquarie Private Wealth New Zealand Arts Awards will be presented on Tuesday 2 October, in The Cloud on Auckland's Waterfront.

Produced by the Arts Foundation, these are New Zealand’s first multi-disciplinary national arts awards, with $405, 000 due to be donated to nine artists on the night.

Thanks to the generosity of Waterfront Auckland, which has donated the venue, the public can then meet Award recipients, celebrate their achievements and immerse themselves in the best of New Zealand art at The Cloud the following day.

This public extension of the ceremony signals a new direction for the Awards, which arebeing held in Auckland for the second year. The Arts Foundation intends to grow this public component in future years, enriching Auckland’s cultural offering, drawing art lovers to the City’s developing new waterfront hub.

Come and meet this year’s Award recipients

Award recipients, from a range of disciplines, will participate in public discussion sessions, considering questions of national interest. The questions have been provided by notable New Zealanders.

The Director of the Christchurch Art Gallery, Jenny Harper, has asked, "how does art affect a city/can art save a city?"

Jock Philips, New Zealand historian, author and encyclopediest, has asked, "what is happening now that will make New Zealand history?"

Arts Philanthropist, Dame Jenny Gibbs has asked, "what do you value the most in New Zealand?"

Sessions are from 12.30pm to 1.30pm and 2pm to 3pm. They will be facilitated by art curator and critic Mark Amery and each session will include three artists announced the night before at the Macquarie Private Wealth New Zealand ArtsAwards.

Come and meet The Arts Foundation

Come and learn about a new way to participate in the arts through the Arts Foundation's crowd-funding website, Boosted. Staff will be on hand to assist artists to prepare for Boosted launch later this year.

Arts Foundation staff will be at the "Arts Foundation Station" from 12pm to 4pm

Children’s Art Workshop

Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts is facilitating a daylong creative workshop for children called Heads in the Clouds. The workshop is designed to inspire and encourage students to engage with their surroundings, and to provide a unique opportunity to work alongside a renowned New Zealand artist awarded the night before.

Together, they will collaborate on a site specific, temporary sculptural installation, housed in The Cloud for the day.

ENDS

About the Arts Foundation
Established in 2000, the Arts Foundation is a private trust, specialising in philanthropic giving to the arts and by the end of this year the Foundation will have donated almost $4million to the arts and celebrated 141 artists. The Arts Foundation represents many of New Zealand’s most notable patrons. It has an endowment fund of $6 million and is expecting $15 million in legacies. More information is available at www.thearts.co.nz

Past recipients of Arts Foundation Awards include Icons Janet Frame, Ralph Hotere, Marti Friedlander and Sir Peter Jackson. Laureates include Chris Knox, Emily Perkins, John Reynolds, Kate de Goldi, Lloyd Jones, Michael Parekowhai, Moana Maniapoto, Neil Ieremia, Ngila Dickson, Oscar Kightley. New Generation Award recipients include Taika Waititi and Warren Maxwell.

The 2012 Macquarie Private Wealth New Zealand Arts Awards:
New Zealand’s first multi-disciplinary national awards will announce this year’s recipients during a prestigious red carpet awards function to be held at Auckland’s favourite waterfront venue – The Cloud on 2 October. Nine artists will be honoured and share $405,000 in financial awards. For further information and to book a table at the Awards dinner, contact the Arts Foundation: www.thearts.co.nz

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