The latest Creative NZ funding round has been announced (the low value quick response ones) and the visual arts got 16.5% of the money handed over, neatly matched to the 16% that CNZ gives the Visual Arts from its total annual funding. The maximum you can get? $7,500.
So where did the money go? Nearly half of it went to publications, the current darling of CNZ. It is a touch ironic that all this publishing is of paper-based books at a time when the entire publishing industry is on its tree-based knees. A book (hardback, illustrated, at least one tangential text/essay) has become a calling card for any self-respecting artist and a professional necessity for tertiary level teachers.
This really is the time for CNZ and the universities to exercise leadership and put their effort into digital publishing. Digital products may not be so easily absorbed into the CV promotional mill, but they have a better shot at wider and cheaper distribution and access.
As to funding cheques that had an actual artist’s name on them, there were three and they went to Dan Arps, Kathy Barry and Layla Rudneva-Mackay for a total of $18,410. You can see what everyone else got here.
