"Opera in Aotearoa New Zealand is a taonga art form. Witi Ihimaera, who is a signatory on the letter, said a review and reset of opera as an art form in New Zealand was necessary. It asked that a meeting with three or four representatives be set up to kōrero on the kaupapa for the review. However, the upswelling referred to has not stopped. "The signatories to this letter are aware that the problems listed above are being addressed in-house by Creative New Zealand and New Zealand Opera. The letter said as a result, the opera community felt that the artform it loved had not been treated with respect. "This has resulted in the implementation of an artistic programme with crucial problems, for instance, one in which the core repertoire is not being sustained, and a situation where opera performance has limited regional expansion." "They include failures of board and company leadership, structural staffing imbalances, and the adherence to a funding model that has led to fiscal misdirection and inequities in distribution of available funds. The letter went on to detail other problems that needed addressing. "Since their resignations, there has been an upswelling of concern from sponsors, opera audiences and professionals within the sector, widely reported in the media." " were alarmed that since 2019 the generous investment of almost $9 million funded mainly through Creative New Zealand, had not been deployed in a manner resulting in the flourishing of opera in New Zealand. The letter raised concerns about how the funding from Creative NZ was being spent. In May, Witi Ihimaera, Murray Shaw and Rachael Walkinton resigned from the board of NZ Opera citing concern over the artistic direction the company was heading in, and what they described as a "lack of thought and responsibility toward those who love opera".Įarlier this month the three former board members, along with a host of others, wrote to the Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Carmel Sepuloni asking for support to commission a review that would look at the structure, funding and governance of the national opera company. For additional information, contact City Clerk Rebekah Barr, 933-2216 or Lisa Janson, 933-2220.Former NZ Opera board member Witi Ihimaera is calling for a review to go wider than just the New Zealand Opera company. Tickets can be purchased online on Eventbrite, or mail payment via check or cash by mail to: City of Sonoma, Attn: City Clerk, No. Monday, June 6th, and must be paid in advance. Reservations for the wine and hors d’oeuvres reception will be accepted until 5 p.m. In one of her many nomination letters, one individual said “Pat is most definitely a treasure. Meier-Johnson’s selfless giving – whether it was submitting a 3’ heart that featured a bright yellow sun as part of the #HeartofSonoma, to donating her artwork to help raise funds for people living with HIV/AIDS. Meier-Johnson has served as an adviser to Teen Services Sonoma on multiple projects including designing their Cowboy Cab logo and finding ways to work directly with the teens.Īlso impressive to the Commission was Ms. Meier-Johnson, the Commission noted not only her artistic talent, but also her love of community, and generous nature. Thursday, June 9, 2022, at the Vintage House, 264 First Street East, in Sonoma. Members of the public are invited to attend the event which will be held at 6:30 p.m. The Cultural and Fine Arts Commission of Sonoma will host a reception to honor local artist Pat Meier-Johnson who was recently named the 2022 Sonoma Treasure Artist of the Year. Sonoma’s 2022 Treasure Artist Pat Meier-Johnson
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