June Grant, of Rotorua

June Grant received the Insignia of an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori art and Māori.  Mrs Grant has been involved in art for more than 30 years.  She has exhibited in contemporary exhibitions nationally and internationally through her involvement with Nga Puna Waihanga, and Toi Māori Aotearoa.  She has been a member of the Te Atinga Contemporary Māori Art Committee of Toi Māori Aotearoa for 20 years and is a founding member of the Kauwae Māori Women Artists Collective, which supports emerging Māori women artists.  She actively advocates for Māori art in schools and promotes Māori art overseas.  She has received the Black Pearl Award for her achievement in arts and culture.  She is a member of Aroha Mai Cancer Support Network and a trustee of the Rotorua Breast Cancer Trust.  Mrs Grant latest exhibition is a series of works entitled 'Ngā Whaea O Ngā Marama', or 'The Moon Mothers', at the Spirit Wrestler Gallery in Vancouver, Canada.