Visual artist Jim Vivieaere is the recipient of the three month Creative New Zealand Pacific Arts Committee and National University of Samoa Artist in Residence, based at the National University in Apia, Samoa.

"Jim Vivieaere has been a pivotal figure in the visual arts community for more than 20 years and is highly regarded as an artist, curator and advisor. He has been instrumental in raising the profile of New Zealand based Pacific Island artists and will be a wonderful ambassador for New Zealand", said Stephen Wainwright, Chief Executive of Creative New Zealand.Visual artist Jim Vivieaere is the recipient of the three month Creative New Zealand Pacific Arts Committee and National University of Samoa Artist in Residence, based at the National University in Apia, Samoa.

"Jim Vivieaere has been a pivotal figure in the visual arts community for more than 20 years and is highly regarded as an artist, curator and advisor. He has been instrumental in raising the profile of New Zealand based Pacific Island artists and will be a wonderful ambassador for New Zealand", said Stephen Wainwright, Chief Executive of Creative New Zealand.The residency, which this year was open to New Zealand based Pacific visual artists, is an opportunity for artists across different artforms wanting to perform, exhibit or undertake research projects in Samoa. It is an important component of Creative New Zealand's commitment to investing in New Zealand Pacific communities and strengthening and building cultural identity through the arts. The residency is for a period of three months from mid August 2008 until mid November 2008.

For Jim Viviaere (New Zealand Cook Island Maori), the residency offers the opportunity to compile a new body of work as well as continuing to explore themes that he is currently working on.

"I'm honoured to have this opportunity and am looking forward to collaborating with other artists and sharing my experience in a mentoring role", he said.

The 2008 residency aims to benefit both the selected artist and the Samoan arts community. It is an opportunity for an established New Zealand-based Pacific artist to interact and share his/her skills with the Samoan arts community and encourage the development of visual arts skills among local school students, Samoan artists and the wider community.

The residency provides the selected artist with the security of income and access to resources to gain professional development, develop a new body of work and support the artist to market his/her work outside New Zealand.

In 2006 the focus was performing arts and Nathaniel Lees was the recipient.

27/07/08