Marsden School Welcomes 24th Artist In Residence

Marsden School is delighted to announce Marci Tackett as its Artist in Residence for 2023. The Artist in Residence programme has been a highlight of the school’s arts and cultural programme since 1999, providing students with an opportunity to work alongside a professional artist. Marci will present masterclass-style workshops for Marsden students in support of their academic studies, and local primary school students are also invited to attend a one-day workshop. “I love the process of making art and being a member of a culture and community invested in nurturing the development of the creative process in all people.”

Highly accomplished and with a wealth of experience in teaching and artistic practice, Marci was born in Denver, Colorado, and has lived and worked in New Zealand since 2006. She has received numerous awards and artist residencies in both New Zealand and the USA, including the Annual Fellowship Award from Kala Art Institute in Berkeley, California, and the Merit Grant Recipient for a residency at the Vermont Studio Center. Marci’s work has been displayed in exhibitions around the world and in 2019, 2020 and 2022 she was a finalist for the New Zealand Painting and Printmaking Award.

In addition to her impressive artistic accomplishments, Marci also teaches at The Learning Connexion in Lower Hutt, where she has developed and expanded her interdisciplinary art practice. Her collaborative, interactive exhibition entitled Selective Memory, which she created with fellow printmaker Toni Mosley, was shown at Railway Street Studios in Auckland in 2019.

During her six-week residency at Marsden, Marci will have use of a designated studio space in the Art and Design Department known as the “Art House”. She will mentor and instruct students in a wide range of themes, culminating in an exhibition at the Academy of Fine Arts in Wellington that includes her body of work, as well as some of the students’ art. One of the key messages that Marci tries to instil in her students is that “they are in charge of their own creative journeys ultimately and that by learning to observe and analyse their processes they will improve their outcomes, and they will have an exciting time doing it!”

Through programmes such as the Artist in Residence and other creative initiatives, Marsden School seeks to inspire young learners to aspire to be creative thinkers who can think outside the norm, visualise new solutions, and make a difference in the world of tomorrow.

“The programme is a testament to our commitment to fostering creativity and artistic excellence, and we welcome Marci to our school community.” Paula Wells, Principal.

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