Arts Foundation of New Zealand

A facilitator of private philanthropy, the Arts Foundation of New Zealand supports artistic excellence through its permanent Endowment Fund. Legacies and donations help grow the Fund, with income generated enabling the Foundation to support the arts.

The Foundation produces Award programmes that provide recognition and support to artists working at the highest levels in all art forms. By the end of 2010, the Foundation will have honoured 112 artists and distributed $3.65 million to the arts.

Foundation Awards celebrate significant achievement at different stages of artists’ careers and are presented on an annual or biannual basis.

New Zealand’s most senior artists are honoured at the Icon Awards. These Awards recognise a lifetime of achievements and are considered the Foundation’s highest honour. Artists whose careers are in full flight, receive $50,000NZD each in recognition of achievements to date and as an investment in their future at the Laureate Awards. Artists who are in the early stages of their career receive $25,000NZD each at the New Generation Awards. In partnership, the Foundation produces the Marti Friedlander Photographic Award, of $25,000NZD to assist the career of a photographer, and the Harriet Friedlander Residency, which is a residency in New York valued at $80,000NZD. In 2011 the inaugural Mallinson Rendel Illustrators Award will be made. This Award will be presented every two years to a children’s book illustrator with published work of a high standard and includes a no-strings cash gift of $10,000.

Supporters of the arts are also recognised. Every year an individual, couple or trust is honoured with the Award for Patronage and are gifted $20,000NZD by the Foundation to distribute to artists or art projects of their choice. From time to time the Foundation also honours an individual or institution that has contributed significantly to the arts through the Governors’ Award.

Recipients of Awards are selected without their knowing they are under consideration by independent panels of arts peers or curators.

Icon Awards
The Arts Foundation of New Zealand established the Icon Awards as an honours system to celebrate and acknowledge New Zealand art-makers who have achieved the highest standards of artistic expression.

Limited to a living circle of 20, Icons are pioneers and leaders from all arts disciplines, living and working around the world. To date, a total of 21 artists have been acknowledged as Icons. In 2003, ten artists were honoured, six in 2005 and five in 2007. With the deaths of Janet Frame, Don Selwyn and Hone Tuwhare, the living circle stands at eighteen in 2008.

Each Icon receives a medallion and pin designed by stone sculptor John Edgar. The artist is gifted the pin in perpetuity, while the medallion is presented to a successor at a future Icon Award ceremony following the artist’s death.

In 2008 the Arts Foundation began commissioning oral histories from Icons. In time, the Foundation hopes that an oral history will be deposited with the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington covering the life of each Icon artist. This will ensure the artists’ stories are on public record and available for future generations.

Laureate Awards
Annually five artists whose careers are in full flight are honoured at the Arts Foundation of New Zealand Laureate Awards.

Artists receive a donation of $50,000NZD each and a specially commissioned sculpture by Terry Stringer. Laureate Artists are New Zealanders practicing in any arts discipline, located anywhere in the world. Laureates are able to use their Award in any way they choose, for example, in the creation of new works, or the freedom to concentrate time and resources into the development of their career.

New Generation Awards
The Arts Foundation of New Zealand New Generation Awards, celebrate artists’ early achievements through an investment of each recipient’s career. Biennially, five artists are awarded $25,000NZD each,and a sculpture designed by glass artist Christine Cathie. Each artist must have developed an individual identity, demonstrated richness, range and depth, and stand for the strength and quality of their particular art form in New Zealand. Although still at an early stage of career, these artists will have already demonstrated excellence and innovation through an output of high-level artistic work.

Similar to other Arts Foundation Awards, the New Generation Award may be presented to an artist working in any arts discipline. In partnership with the arts community, the Arts Foundation appoints a curator to select artists without their knowing they are under consideration. The curator makes his or her decision by working with a group of self appointed advisors, travelling and talking to arts experts around the country. Teacher, critic, theorist and organiser of contemporary creative practices, Jon Bywater (Auckland) curated the Award in 2006, while writer, teacher, painter,curator Gregory O'Brien (Wellington) undertook the role in 2008 and arts radio journalist Lynn Freeman in 2010.

Award for Patronage
The Arts Foundation of New Zealand Award for Patronage is made annually to a person, couple, or private trust for the outstanding private contributions they have made to the arts. The Award for Patronage is presented by Perpetual Trust.

As a community of artists and arts supporters, the Arts Foundation honours those who contribute significantly as patrons. Annually, a donation of $20,000NZD from the Arts Foundation is provided to the recipient of this Award for them to distribute to artists, arts projects or arts organisations of their choice. To date, philanthropists Denis and Verna Adam (2006), Jenny Gibbs (2007), Gillian and Roderick Deane (2008), Adrienne, Lady Stewart (2009) and Gus & Irene Fisher (2010) have been recipients. All recipients have chosen to double the funds for distribution through a matching contribution of $20,000NZD, with Gus & Irene Fisher donating $30,000NZD of their own funds, meaning an annual distribution of up to $50,000NZD. Recipients have also each chosen to distribute an amount of $10,000 each to artists and /or arts projects

Governors' Award
The Arts Foundation of New Zealand Governors’ Award recognises an individual or institution that has contributed in a significant way to the development of the arts and artists in New Zealand. The recipients are chosen from time to time by Arts Foundation Governors, with each recipient receiving a plaque designed by Auckland artist Jim Wheeler.

To date two Awards have been made:

The inaugural recipient was the University of Otago in recognition of its significant contribution to the arts community through its Burns, Hodgkins and Mozart Fellowships. The three Fellowships were set up through the generosity of anonymous benefactors and have subsequently been funded by additional grants to maintain their value.

The second presentation was made to Concert FM (now Radio New Zealand Concert). The Arts Foundation of New Zealand Governors recognised the significant contribution that Concert FM has made to this country in supporting, encouraging and promoting New Zealand composers, musicians, writers and actors at a national level. The Arts Foundation also acknowledged Concert FM’s contribution to the arts through its recording collaborations and the Douglas Lilburn Prize (a joint initiative between Concert FM and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra).

In 2009 a third presentation was made to the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth. In making their selection, Arts Foundation Governors acknowledged the singular commitment by the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery to the cause of contemporary art, particularly from Aotearoa New Zealand, over the last four decades.

Marti Friedlander Photographic Award
The Marti Friedlander Photographic Award, Supported by the Arts Foundation of New Zealand is presented every two years to an established photographer with a record of excellence and the potential to carry on producing work at high levels. The Award includes a donation of $25,000nzd for the photographer to use as they please with the goal of furthering their careers.

The inaugural recipient selected and announced by Marti Friedlander, was Edith Amituanai - a widely exhibited artist and a finalist in a number of awards, including the 2008 Walters Prize. Extended family and immediate community are primary subjects for Edith; she collaborates closely with her Christchurch and Auckland relatives as well as people she grew up with in West Auckland.

John Miller (an independent social documentary photographer, renowned particularly for his protest images) and Mark Adams (a photographer working with subjects of cross-cultural significance) were joint recipients in 2009.

Harriet Friedlander Residency
On 26 June 2008, the Harriet Friedlander Scholarship Trust and the Arts Foundation launched this new international residency. A dedicated supporter of the arts, Harriet Friedlander also loved the vibrant culture of New York. She believed that any young artist exposed to the city would learn and grow in unimaginable ways with the fruits of this borne out through his or her work. When Michael and Harriet Friedlander and their sons Jason and Daniel designed the residency, Harriet was clear that she did not want to place any expectations or responsibilities on the recipient. An artist was to be sent to New York to have an “experience”, all expenses paid, so that they could immerse themselves in the culture and process it in their own way.

One of the most generous residencies offered to a New Zealand artist, up to $80,000NZD is made available every two years for their travel and living expenses. This opportunity is available to an artist aged 30 to 40, practicing in any discipline. The recipient is selected without their knowing they are under consideration by a curator appointed by the Foundation. The inaugural curator was Gregory O’Brien and the inaugural recipient is filmmaker Florian Habicht, He took up the residency in 2009. Visual artist Seung Yul Oh was selected in 2010 by arts journalist Lynn Freeman. Seung Yul will take up the residency in 2011.