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The Arts Foundation awarded more than $400,000 to nine artists at this year’s Macquarie Private Wealth New Zealand Arts Awards.

The nine recipients represent a range of disciplines and received awards divided into three categories.

Five $50,000 Laureate Awards

• Fiona Samuel, Auckland based Actor / Writer / Director
• Gregory O’Brien, Wellington based Poet / Editor / Painter / Curator / Critic
• Rachel House, Auckland based Actor / Stage & Screen Director
• Ruia Aperahama, Auckland based Singer / Songwriter
• Tony de Lautour, Christchurch based Painter

Three $25,000 New Generation Awards

• Cameron McMillan – London based, New Plymouth born, Dancer / Choreographer
• Pip Adam, Wellington based Writer
• Shigeyuki Kihara, Auckland based Artist / Independent Curator

In addition, the $80,000 biennial Harriet Friedlander New York Residency was awarded to Auckland based Playwright, Arthur Meek. Supported by the Arts Foundation and funded by a legacy, the Harriet Friedlander Residency sends an artist to New York for as long as $80,000 will last them.

The Awards were established to recognise the talents of New Zealand’s diverse arts community, and provide tangible funding to individuals at critical stages in their career, said Arts Foundation Executive Director Simon Bowden.

“The level of artistic talent in this country can’t be denied, but financial burden of pursuing a creative career is challenging. The Arts Foundation recognises leading artistic talent and provides a level of funding that has a profoundimpact on artists,” said Bowden.

• Awards info and Artist’s BIO’s:

Laureate Award - $50,000 each

The Laureate Award is an investment in excellence across a range of art forms for an artist with prominence and outstanding potential for future growth. Their work is rich but their richest work still lies ahead of them. The award should recognise a moment in the artists’ career that will allow them to have their next great success.

Fiona Samuel is a writer, director and actor. She writes for film,theatre, radio and television, and has created award-winning dramas in all these fields. Her most recent work includes the television dramas Piece of my Heart and Bliss - the Beginning of Katherine Mansfield, both of which she wrote and directed. Her work has been called ‘succulent entertainment’, ‘beautiful’, ‘side-splittingly funny’ and ‘achingly sad’.

Gregory O’Brien is a poet, essayist, editor and artist. He has been has been a busy and energetic presence in both arts and literature within New Zealand. With one foot in the literary world, the other in the visual art realm, Gregory has been a prolific and busy presence on the cultural scene for nearly three decades. His most recent publication is a monograph on the painter Pat Hanly (2012).

Rachel House is an award winning stage performer and director with an increasing profile in film. She has played roles in films such as Boy and Whalerider and has played pivotal roles in the premiere of some New Zealand’s classic theatre such as Woman Far Walking. In 2012 she directed te reo Maori version of Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida which played to acclaim both here and at the Globe Theatre in London.

Ruia Aperahama is a musician who combines a deep sense of tradition with a strong contemporary sensibility. ‘What's The Time Mr. Wolf', written and recorded in his early twenties, is recognised as an enduring New Zealand classic. He often composes in te reo Maori, recording several albums of original material, and translating the songs of Bob Marley into Maori.

Tony De Lautour is an artist whose work is quirky and full of dark humour. His paintings have been included in numerous group exhibitions in public galleries, and solo exhibitions. Recent work explores the tension between Modernist abstraction and the contemporary context of post-quake Christchurch.

New Generation Award - $25,000 each

New Generation artists are the hot shots, the ones to watch, and 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, individual and show outstanding promise. They also display a depth of thinking and consistency that gives their work strength.

Cameron McMillan has been described by the UK Observer as one of ‘the most compelling and intelligent dancers on the world stage’. Born in New Zealand and trained at The Australian Ballet School, Cameron is based in London. He is Associate Artist with Dance East and has enjoyed a highly successful performance and creative career spanning large scale classical ballet to independent contemporary dance, film and fashion.

Pip Adam is a fiction writer. Her work has appeared in notablepublications such as Sport, Glottis, Turbine, Lumiere Reader, Hue & Cry, Landfall and Blackmail Press. She has also written for exhibitions at the Wellington City Art Gallery. Her first collection of short stories Everything We Hoped For (VUP) won the 2011 NZSA Hubert Church Best First Book Award for Fiction.

Shigeyuki Kihara is an artist and curator. A native of Samoa, her first solo exhibition in North America entitled Shigeyuki Kihara; Living Photographs was recently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art following the acquisition of her works by the museum for their permanent collection. Her works are held in selected private collections internationally, amongst others, Giorgio Armani. Kihara is this year's Paramount Winner of the 21st Annual Wallace Art Awards.

Harriet Friedlander New York Residency - $80,000

Supported by the Arts Foundation and funded by a legacy, the Harriet Friedlander Residency sends an artist to New York for as long as $80,000 will last them. Harriet Friedlander was a dedicated supporter of the arts. She also loved New York. She believed that any young artist exposed to the city would learn and grow in unimaginable ways.

Arthur Meek writes for stage and screen, and has worked extensively as an actor. He first came to attention whilst at University for his award winning short film Being John Campbell. He has been awarded the Bruce MasonPlaywriting Award and a slew of awards and nominations in the Chapman TrippTheatre Awards. His work betrays a singular and witty contemporary voice, bold in structure and style.

• The Arts Foundation Awards
  

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 11 years ago, the Foundation has recognized 141 artists and donated over $4million to the arts.

Past recipients of Arts Foundation Awards include Laureates; 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 Arts Foundation also recognises arts Icons. Current Icons include; Janet Frame, Ralph Hotere, Marti Friedlander and Sir Peter Jackson.

While a number of the awards have been granted for over 10 years, it was only last year that a dedicated awards evening was established for their presentation, making it the country’s first multi-disciplinary arts awards. The black tie event, hosted at The Cloud on Auckland’s Waterfront, featured performances by previously awarded artists Whirimako Black, Warren Maxwell,Stuart Devenie and Black Grace Dance Company.

The Awards on Tuesday October 2 were followed by an open day at The Cloud on Wednesday October 3. The public is invited to meet with and hear from award recipients through aserious of discussions, while a creative workshop provides the opportunity for children to collaborate with recipient winners to create a temporary sculptural installation.

Source: Arts Foundation of New Zealand