2004 Laureates announced
Filmmaker Barry Barclay, composer Jack Body, visual artist and writer John Pule, ta moko artist Derek Lardelli and glass sculptor Ann Robinson are the 2004 Laureates, announced last night by the Arts Foundation of New Zealand at a special ceremony in Wellington.

Image: Barry Barclay filming The Neglected Miracle in 1985
2004 Laureates announced
Filmmaker Barry Barclay, composer Jack Body, visual artist and writer John Pule, ta moko artist Derek Lardelli and glass sculptor Ann Robinson are the 2004 Laureates, announced last night by the Arts Foundation of New Zealand at a special ceremony in Wellington.

Image: Barry Barclay filming The Neglected Miracle in 1985
This was the fifth annual Laureate Awards, held in conjunction with Arts Foundation principal sponsor Forsyth Barr and 2004 Laureate Awards supporting sponsor Westpac. It's the first time they've been held in Wellington.

Each artist received $50,000. Richard Cathie, Chairman of the Arts Foundation, said: "The Laureate Awards are intended to make a significant difference to the careers of some of our finest mid-career artists."

Recipients are acknowledged to be at the forefront of their artform and are chosen in recognition of their substantial achievements in the arts and as a challenge to continue creating work at high levels.

The artists were chosen by a selection panel of distinguished peers and arts experts, including Jonathan Mane-Wheoki, William Dart, Marilyn
Kohlhase, Roger Horrocks, Mark Williams and Sunny Amey. In addition to the financial support, each Laureate artist receives a Terry Stringer statuette, is given a profile on the Foundation's website and invited to take part in the Arts Foundation Forsyth Barr Laureate Forums.

The Laureate Awards are made possible through income generated by the Arts Foundation Endowment Fund, managed by Forsyth Barr. At the inaugural awards in 2000, five artists each received $30,000 and the awards increased to $40,000 in 2003. Continuing growth in the endowment fund, bought about by increased donations from individuals, has allowed
the Foundation to increase this prestigious award to $50,000 in 2004.