Piera McArthur
Piera McArthur | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1929 |
| Other names | Sylvia Margarite Piera McArthur |
| Alma mater | Erskine College, Victoria University of Wellington |
| Relatives | Charles Monro (grandfather) |
| Awards | Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit |
Sylvia Margarite Piera McArthur ONZM (née Monro; born 1929) is a New Zealand painter. In 2012 she was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the arts.
Early life and education
[edit]McArthur was born in Ramsgate in 1929.[1] She was one of five children, and her father was a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, and from a "well-known medical dynasty" the Munros of Auchinbowie.[2][3][4] The family moved to New Zealand in 1938, settling in Feilding.[2][5] McArthur attended Feilding Convent School and then Erskine College in Wellington, where she won the Society of the Sacred Heart's international prize for excellence, the St Madeleine Sophie award.[2][6][5] She earned a scholarship to Victoria University of Wellington where she gained a Master of Arts in Modern Languages.[2]
Career
[edit]McArthur married diplomat John G. McArthur, who she had met as a student.[2] Their first posting was to Paris.[4] The McArthurs had recently established New Zealand's first embassy in Chile when the 1973 Chilean coup d'état occurred.[7] A wanted "prominent trade unionist", Luis Figueroa, broke into the embassy seeking asylum, and John McArthur smuggled him to the residence in the back of his car.[7] Figueroa was joined by his girlfriend, and the couple were sheltered by the McArthurs for ten days before being passed over to the Swedish ambassador.[7] Diplomatic wives were generally not allowed to undertake paid work in their host country.[7] It was in Chile that Piera McArthur learned to paint. although after advice from artist Douglas MacDiarmid she did not have formal training.[7]
McArthur spent considerable time in Paris and Moscow, as well as postings to Brussels and the UN in New York.[5] She was first New Zealander to have a solo show at the New Tretiakov Gallery in Moscow.[2] McArthur is known for her colourful style. The Journal of Soviet Culture described her works as "vibrating, breathing, trembling".[5] She lives and works in Thorndon, Wellington.[8] She and her husband had six children together.[4]
Honours and awards
[edit]In the 2012 New Year Honours, McArthur was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the arts.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ "Piera McArthur ONZM | Exhibitions Gallery". exhibitionsgallery.co.nz. 21 March 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Piera McArthur". Jonathan Grant Gallery. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ Max, Lambert; Traue, Jim; Taylor, Alister (1 January 1991). Who's Who in New Zealand, 1991. p. 375. ISBN 978-0-7900-0130-2.
- ^ a b c Dekker, Diana (19 October 2012). "Thorndon artist driven to paint". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d Quin, Phil (29 February 2020). "National Portrait: Piera McArthur, the accidental artist". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ "Success". The Northern Advocate. 9 January 1948. p. 2. Retrieved 19 October 2024 – via Papers Past.
- ^ a b c d e Harvie, Will (6 October 2018). "Kiwi diplomats hid trade unionist during Pinochet's deadly purge". Dominion Post. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ "Piera McArthur – Studio Visit – Friends of Te Papa". 14 October 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ "New Year Honours List 2012 | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC)". www.dpmc.govt.nz. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
External links
[edit]- Video of the Piera McArthur Exhibition at the Jonathan Grant Gallery, 28 May to 11 June 2023, via YouTube
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
