December 01, 2014
Te Waka Toi honours lifetime achievers
After years of giving out awards as the former chair of Te Waka Toi, Elizabeth Ellis now has one of her own.
At the Creative New Zealand Te Waka Toi Awards in Rotorua on Saturday, she was awarded Nga Tohu a Ta Kingi Ihaka for a lifetime of service to Maori arts as a painter, educator and administrator.
She says it’s a special honour to have a tohu named after an inspiring figure who was part of her whanau.
She credits her parents Walter and Emare Mountain for supporting her choice of direction.
" The early influences on me were Arnold Wilson who was my art teacher in Kawakawa and Selwyn Wilson who was part of my northern whanau. And both of them encouraged my parents to send me or to support me to go to Elam School of Fine Arts " she says.
Other kuia and kaumatua honoured with lifetime achievement awards included kowhaiwhai expert John Hovell, who died earlier this year, carver Te Warihi Hetaraka, educator Rose Pere and Danny Poihipi.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH ELIZABETH ELLIS CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=MjQ1NjA=
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