The judges’ panel
Mark Amery has worked extensively as an arts advisor, public space curator, editor, writer and broadcaster over the last 30 years, with a keen interest in developing artists and their work across artforms in public space outside the gallery. He works currently as a producer and presenter for RNZ's arts show Standing Room Only, and a love of art on radio began as producer/presenter of 95bFMs Culture Bunker for five years 1990-95. Mark is coeditor of The Spinoff visual art section and edits an arts new bulletin for The Big Idea, The Lowdown.
Lynda Chanwai-Earle is a Chinese New Zealander with a background in the arts and public broadcasting. Founding Presenter of Radio New Zealand’s Voices programme, her ward-winning poetry and plays have been published, produced, and toured in national festivals and abroad. Ka-Shue (Letters Home) was the first authentic New Zealand Chinese play. Set in Antarctica, Lynda’s award-winning green-powered play HEAT toured New Zealand. HOLE follows and will premiere at Circa Theatre, Wellington. Lynda was awarded the prestigious 2019 Writer in Residence at the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University of Wellington.
Kerry Ann Lee is an artist, designer, scholar and educator from Te Whanganui-a-tara. With a background in graphic art, she creates installation, print and image-based works. Lee has been involved with diverse communities through collaborations, commissions, workshops and public programmes, including the Asian Aotearoa Arts Hui. Lee regularly exhibits work nationally and internationally and is known for her work with independent publishing and fanzines over the past two decades.
Michael Tuffery is a New Zealand-based artist of Samoan, Rarotongan and Ma‘ohi Tahitian heritage. In his art practice he plays the role of connector, working “in between” people and places and focusing a fresh lens on environmental, community, cultural and art historical divides. He exhibits worldwide and has undertaken research and community residencies throughout the USA, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Asia, India, Australia, as well as Aotearoa and the Pacific.In 2008 Michel was appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to art, but his real reward comes from enriching communities through his art.
The project team
This project is jointly coordinated by artist Bruce Mahalski (Art direction) and Wellington-based researcher Bev Hong (Project management). Other team members are Professor Bernard Guerin (University of South Australia) with expertise in anti-racism research and approaches, Auckland-based public health researcher and evaluator Grace Wong and Brittany Young who is in her fourth and final year studying Communications and Visual Design. [Can we hyperlink to the bio paras below for each name in the para above?]
Bernard Guerin is Professor of Psychology at the University of South Australia, where he teaches social and community behaviour, language and discourse, and social science interventions. He trained at the Universities of Adelaide (Ph.D.) and Queensland (Postdoctoral) and taught at James Cook University (1987-1989) and the University of Waikato (NZ) for fifteen years (1990-2005). He has published 12 books, including a new trilogy. His research is focused on working alongside communities, in partnership with Indigenous Australian, Māori, Somali refugee, and migrant communities. His broader goal is to integrate social and community psychology with behaviour analysis and the other social sciences into an interdisciplinary framework that can be used for practical analysis and intervention.
Bev Hong
Quote… eeerm? Am thinking about this…
Bev is a social issues researcher. Her interests include measuring and understanding wellbeing, the role of arts and culture in society, national identity and sense of belonging, and the bridging of knowledge from different world views. Bev is a Principal at Kōtātā Insight Limited and a Senior Associate of the Institute of Governance and Policy Studies (IGPS), Victoria University of Wellington. She is fourth generation New Zealand Chinese.
Brittany Young is in her fourth and final year of study to complete her Bachelor with honours in Visual Communication Design at Massey University. She lives in Wellington, is a 3.5 generation Chinese Kiwi and is an active member of the Wellington Chinese Sports and Cultural Centre.
Bruce Mahalski is a Dunedin based artist (born 1963) known for his illustration, street murals, and sculpture. He is founder and director of the Dunedin Museum of Natural Mystery, a private museum of natural history and ethnographic objects. Mahalski has also been a keen sponsor of other's work, raising money to bring British street artists like Phelgm and Cityzenkane to work and collaborate in New Zealand through his former arts group Vivid Wellington. This group also facilitated many public art projects in Wellington in recent years as well as organising a successful nationwide poster competition in 2017. Mahalski also has a long background in conservation and projects promoting non-violent solutions through his work with groups such as Peace Movement Aotearoa.
Dr Grace Wong
I joined this project because I support advocacy which showcases solutions.
Grace is 4th generation New Zealand-born Chinese and lives in Auckland. She lectures nurses about primary health care. She has published research and evaluations about Asian health in New Zealand and nurses and smoking cessation.