Darcy Nicholas

File:Darcy Nicholas QSO (cropped).jpg

Darcy John Nicholas {{post-nominals|country=NZL|QSO}} (born 1945) is a New Zealand artist, writer and art administrator.

Art administration career

Nicholas opened his own art gallery in Lower Hutt in 1975.{{cite book |title=Te Waka Toi: Contemporary Maori Art from New Zealand |date=1992 |publisher=Te Waka Toi |location=Wellington}} In 1981 he became director of the Wellington Arts Centre. He was appointed director of the Central Regional Arts Council in 1986 and in 1989 was appointed Assistant General Manager with the Iwi Transition Agency.

Nicholas led the development of the Pataka Art + Museum complex in Porirua, which opened in 1998. He stepped down from his role as Pataka's director and Porirua City Council's community services general manager in 2012.{{cite web|last1=O'Neil|first1=Andrea|title=Pataka director Darcy Nicholas returns to art career|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/kapi-mana-news/entertainment/8031002/Pataka-director-Darcy-Nicholas-returns-to-art-career|website=Stuff.co.nz|accessdate=13 June 2015|date=4 December 2012}}

Nicholas also established the Māori Art Market art fair in 2005 and has remained involved in the creative leadership of the event.{{cite web|title=Toi Māori Arts Market set to wow Wellington|url=http://www.tpk.govt.nz/en/mo-te-puni-kokiri/our-stories-and-media/feature-stories/toi-maori-arts-market-set-to-wow-wellington|accessdate=13 June 2015|format=6 November 2014}}

Artistic practice

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Nicholas has been involved in the contemporary Māori art movement since the late 1960s. Nicholas spent 10 years with the New Zealand Police early in his career, but painted and exhibited during this time. In 1973 he decided to move into making art full-time.{{cite web|title=Maori artist uses colour to communicate|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/culture/visual-arts/5503982/Maori-artist-uses-colour-to-communicate|website=Stuff.co.nz|accessdate=13 June 2015|date=26 August 2011}} He has exhibited throughout New Zealand, Australia, Africa, United States, France, India, Britain, Germany, Netherlands, and Canada.{{cite web|title=Darcy Nicholas|url=http://www.spiritwrestler.com/catalog/index.php?artists_id=6|website=Spirit Wrestler Gallery|accessdate=13 June 2015}}

Nicholas was commissioned to produce a sculpture for the opening of Pukeahu National War Memorial Park in 2015.{{cite web|title=Nga Tapuwae – places of significance|url=http://www.mch.govt.nz/pukeahu/park/significant-sites/nga-tapuwae|website=Ministry of Culture and Heritage|accessdate=13 June 2015}}

Awards and recognitions

1984 Fulbright Scholarship to observe contemporary Native American and African America art in the United States
Queens Service Order for services to museums in the 2010 Queen's Birthday Honours{{cite web|title=Darcy Nicholas|url=http://gg.govt.nz/node/3144|website=Governor General of New Zealand|accessdate=13 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304140206/http://gg.govt.nz/node/3144|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}
2013 Supreme Te Waka Toi award, Creative New Zealand{{cite web|title=Darcy Nicholas receives supreme Te Waka Toi award|url=http://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=58975|website=Scoop.co.nz|accessdate=13 June 2015}}

Personal life

Nicholas was born in Waitara in 1945. He lives in Stokes Valley, Lower Hutt. Nicholas is of Māori (Te Āti Awa, Ngāi Te Rangi, Taranaki, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Hauā) and European descent.{{Cn|date=December 2022}}