WCC wins Creative Places Award for Sculpture Duo
Wellington City Council today won the Premier Creative Places Award 2006, presented by Creative New Zealand at the Local
Government New Zealand Conference in Wellington.
Wellington City Council was one of eight category award winners and received the Premier Award for its Sculpture Duo,
Len Lye's Water Whirler and Bill Culbert's SkyBlues, two innovative sculptures that enhance Wellington's city scape for
the benefit of the local community.
The Creative Places Awards, presented annually by Creative New Zealand, recognise local government's vital investment in
the arts of New Zealand. They also celebrate innovative arts projects that have enhanced the social, economic and
cultural wellbeing of their communities.
Past Premier Award winners include: the John Money Wing and refurbishment of Gore District Council's eastern Southland
Gallery, the Far North District's Hundertwasser toilets, Wellington City's Parihaka, Waitakere City's Massey Leisure
Centre and Library and New Plymouth District Council's Puke Ariki.
"Creative New Zealand values its partnership with local government and these awards acknowledge those local authorities
and council organisations where exciting, innovative arts projects are an integral part of their agenda,� says
Elizabeth Kerr, Chief Executive, Creative New Zealand.
Wellington City Council's Sculpture Duo also won the Commissions and Public Artworks: City and Regional Councils
category.
"The Sculpture Duo help to make Wellington City a truly creative place," the Award judges said. "They demonstrate
excellence, are a strong response to their environment and reflect Wellington City Council's long-term investment in
public art. Both artworks are also excellent examples of collaboration resulting from the strong working partnership
between Wellington City Council and the Wellington Sculpture Trust.�
The prize for the Premier Award is a $10,000 contribution from Creative New Zealand towards the commissioning of a new
public artwork, to be chosen by the winner.
The Premier Creative Places Award is chosen from the District, City and Regional Council winners in the following four
categories: Arts provision, Built environment, Cultural festivals and arts events, Commissions and public artworks.
In each of these categories a prize is awarded to the outstanding entry from a city or regional council and a district
council. An overall Premier Creative Places Award is then selected from winners in these four categories by a panel of
judges.
Eight other district or city councils won category awards today: Auckland City Council, Southland District Council,
Nelson City Council, Whangarei District Council, Horowhenua District Council, South Wairarapa District Council, Hamilton
city Council, Hastings District Council. Christchurch City Council was also acknowledged through a judges citation. See
summary of projects in appendix below. For full winner profiles visit:
http://www.creativenz.govt.nz/our-work/communities/creative-places-06
The Creative Places Awards also recognise an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the arts within the
local government environment.
This year, the Outstanding Individual Contribution Award was presented to Liz Civil of Auckland City Council. The judges
said that Liz's commitment and tireless work for the arts has helped change the urban fabric of Auckland City.
"Liz has been behind a number of Auckland's most significant and enduring projects including the council's arts planning
document The Arts Agenda, Auckland City's Arts Alive programme and the New Theatre Initiative," the judges said. "Her
work to support and develop the arts sector in Auckland is all the more impressive given that she has managed to achieve
change in what can often be a complex and challenging environment."
Each of the Councils and Liz Civil received a certificate and an artwork by glass artist Lyndsay Patterson.
The 2006 judges were: arts and heritage researcher Suzanne Ellison; Ali Boswijk, formerly Chief Executive of Nelson Bays
Arts Marketing; Gisella Carr, Director Funds Development at Te Papa and visual artist and sculptor Caroline Robinson.
Mayor of New Plymouth Peter Tennent was an assessor responsible for helping identify the shortlist but was unable to
join the judging panel.
Ends