The Arts Foundation Honours 14 of New Zealand’s Best

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The Arts Foundation Honours 14 of New Zealand’s Best

2013 Macquarie Private Wealth New Zealand Arts Awards recipients announced

Tonight 14 artists were recognized and presented with a share of $400,000, at this year’s Macquarie Private Wealth New Zealand Arts Awards.

The 2013 recipients, representing a range of artistic disciplines, are at different stages in their careers and two of the recipients were arts organisations.

Five Arts Foundation Laureate Awards of $50,000 were presented at the ceremony, which was held at Auckland’s new waterfront venue, Shed 10. Laureates are artists who have reached the high standards of excellence and have an outstanding potential for future growth. The Award recognises a moment in the artists' career that will allow them to pursue their next great success.

Past Arts Foundation Laureates include, Chris Knox, John Reynolds, Lloyd Jones, Michael Parekowhai, Ngila Dickson and Oscar Kightley.

This year’s Laureates are:
•       Author, Damien Wilkins
•       Screenwriter and Playwright, Dean Parker
•       Director, Producer and Screenwriter, Jane Campion.
•      Visual Artist, Laurence Aberhart
•       Landscape Architect, Megan Wraight

Three New Generation Awards of $25,000 were presented. New Generation artists are the ones to watch, the ones that have an X-factor that sets them apart from their peers. They have assured potential, their work is exciting, they are independent and individual and show outstanding promise.

Past New Generation recipients include Taika Waititi, Warren Maxwell, Cameron McMillan, Pip Adam and Shigeyuki Kihara.

This year’s New Generation award recipients are:
•       Visual artist, Kushana Bush
•       Theatre practitioner, Kip Chapman
•       Musician, SJD (Sean James Donelley)

The 2013 recipients include the winner of the Marti Friedlander Photographic Award. This award is presented every two years to an established photographer with a record of excellence and potential to continue working at high levels. The award includes a $25,000 donation for the photographer to help further their career. 

This year, Photographer and Graphic Designer Jono Rotman joins an illustrious list of past award recipients.

Also presented was the biennial Mallinson Rendel Illustrator’s Award. Supported by the Arts Foundation the award recognises a children's book illustrator with published work of a high standard and includes a cash gift of $10,000.  

This year’s recipient is Gavin Bishop, an author and illustrator of over 50 books, whose work has been exhibited in shows from Japan to the Czech Republic and his books translated into nine languages.

This year the Arts Foundation Award for Patronage will also be presented. This award acknowledges significant philanthropic contributions to the arts. Recipients are given $20,000 to distribute to artists or arts organisations of their choice, to celebrate the occasion.

In all previous years, recipients have chosen to donate $20,000 of their own, giving away a total of $40,000. As in past years, the 2013 recipient has chosen to donate $20,000 and will award the $40,000 between four recipients. 

The 2013 Arts Foundation Award for Patronage will be presented to the Todd Family and will be received on behalf of the family by Sir John Todd. This year the Todd Family has chosen Tenor Tom Atkins, Photographer Mark Adams, the Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand and Auckland Choral to receive donations. 

The Arts Foundation is a private philanthropic organisation, started by patrons wanting to support New Zealand's finest artists to create more work. Since its inception 12 years ago, the Foundation has recognised 155 artists and donated over $4.5million to the arts.

“The Macquarie Private Wealth New Zealand Arts Awards recognise New Zealand’s most talented artists, a community that continues to impress with the quality of its work and achievements, both here and around the globe. The goal of the Awards is to recognise outstanding work and to provide tangible funding to individuals at critical stages in their career,” said Arts Foundation Chair, Fran Ricketts.

The Macquarie Private Wealth New Zealand Arts Awards are the only national multi-disciplinary arts awards and was celebrated at a black tie event at Auckland’s Shed 10. Since the annual awards began in 2011, they have become a must attend event for supporters of the arts and feature entertainment from Award recipients of past and present.

“We are proud to have established these national arts awards, and of the support we provide to the Arts Foundation in its celebration of and investment in the future of our finest artists,” said Laurence Fitzpatrick, Head of Macquarie Private Wealth.

This year’s event featured performances from Modern Maori Quartet, Auckland Choral, Don McGlashan with SJD and Simon O’Neil.

ENDS

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