Arnold Wilson, of Bayswater
Arnold Wilson received the Insignia of a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori and the arts. Mr Wilson is of Tuhoe Te Arawa descent and is a distinguished New Zealand sculptor and educator. Since being awarded The Queen's Service Medal in 1991, he has continued to be involved with art education and the cultural revival of Māori art, and is now widely acknowledged as one of the most influential artists of the Māori contemporary art movement. He has taught extensively as an art educator since 1995 and was the Director of Te Mauri Pakeaka from 1975 to 1989. In this role he developed and promoted a unique and highly innovative cross cultural arts programme in schools in Northland. He was the co-author of 'Te Mauri Pakeaka: Journey into the Third Space'. Since his retirement he has continued to hold positions as advisor to several arts programmes, including the Māori Advisory Group of the Auckland Art Gallery. Mr Wilson has been a kaumatua and board member of the Awataha Marae for more than 30 years.