UCOL Honours for Paul and Fran Dibble

14 March 2012

UCOL Honours for Paul and Fran Dibble

Artists Paul and Fran Dibble have been awarded Honorary Fellowships by the Council of the Universal College of Learning (UCOL).

The award was announced at UCOL’s graduation ceremony in Palmerston North today (Wednesday).

UCOL’s Honorary Fellow Award is made to people outside UCOL who have made an outstanding and distinguished contribution to the institution and/or the wider community and society in general.

Paul and Fran Dibble have lived and worked in Palmerston North for more than 30 years, with Paul working full-time as a sculptor in an inner city foundry. Earlier Paul lectured at the Palmerston North College of Education and Fran lectured in biochemistry and molecular biology at UCOL. Both have exhibited widely in Palmerton North as well as nationally and internationally.

The Chair of UCOL’s Council Trevor Goodwin says Paul Dibble’s work is well known to the people of Palmerston North. “Major pieces of sculpture are on display outside the Palmerston North Art Gallery, the Palmerston North Library, the Regent, and UCOL’s Princess Street entrance. Recently, Paul donated another major work to the city and it has been installed across the road from Square Edge.

“These attractive and engaging pieces have added an important dimension to our city and community. Many local people and institutions have acquired works by Paul Dibble and we all regard him as one of our own. But his reputation goes well beyond Palmerston North. His work has been widely exhibited and distributed both nationally and overseas. Paul was chosen to create the New Zealand Hyde Park Corner Memorial in 2006.”

Mr Goodwin says Fran Dibble is an artist and art reviewer, regularly appearing in the Evening Standard. “She is the author of Paul Dibble (Bateman, 2002), a book that covers three decades of Paul’s work. She has also managed the business side of the foundry and is an artist in her own right.”

Paul and Fran Dibble recently announced their plans to move north for the next phase of their lives and work. “The award of this honour allows UCOL to recognise the enormous contribution they have made together to the heart and soul of this community,” Mr Goodwin says.

Former Project Director, based at UCOL’s Palmerston North campus, Jule Einhorn, received an Institutional Medal at today’s graduation ceremony, for “particularly meritorious services” to UCOL.

Mr Goodwin says she managed the “enormous task” of transforming UCOL’s Whanganui campus, into the new campus entity Te Matapihi ki Te Ao, opened by the then Prime Minister Helen Clark in 2008.

“We also wanted to acknowledge her ability to achieve inclusivity, ensuring that Whanganui iwi were partners in the new campus project from the outset.”

Jule managed disposal of parts of the old campus and led negotiations with the Tupoho Whanau Trust to establish a Community Complex at the old UCOL campus.

Mr Goodwin says, “These achievements are fine examples of Jule’s professionalism and dedication to regional education and the furtherance of bicultural harmony and understanding.”

ENDS

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