Graeme Mudge, QSM, Gisborne.
For services to the arts. Mr Graeme Mudge is a well-known and respected artist and supporter of the arts in Gisborne - Tairawhiti. As an artist, he has created a number of public murals, which adorn prominent sites. He has also documented virtually all buildings of historical interest or heritage status in the region, and hundreds of homes, businesses, streets, parks, beaches, and gardens. His pen and wash paintings are treasured items in local art collections. His annual oil painting exhibitions, held over two days, attract many hundreds of visitors to his home and gardens. Arriving in Gisborne in 1963, he taught art at local high schools for many years, and ran very successful painting workshops for the Artists’ Society. Mr Mudge has also assisted many local theatre groups with set painting and design, from backdrops for large-scale productions, to many small and detailed interior sets.