Tim Walker is an Auckland-based arts & culture consultant. After playing leadership roles in the museum sector for three decades – including as senior art curator through the development of Te Papa, and director of TheNewDowse – he set up his own company. As a consultant Tim works with arts, culture and heritage organisations, iwi and hapu, tourism businesses, and government and local government throughout NZ.

Tim is chair of Toi Whakaari – the NZ Drama School. He has a MA in Art History and was awarded an Honorary Degree in Creative Technologies by the Council of the Wellington Institute of Technology.

Mark Hutchins-Pond joined Webb’s, Wellington, as an Art Specialist last September after a decade as the lead curator, contemporary art, at the Pātaka Art+Museum in Porirua. Mark’s extensive art sector expertise has been acquired over three decades of studying, writing, presenting, critiquing, and championing the best contemporary fine art in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Before leading Pātaka’s curatorial team, Mark established and successfully directed his own dealer gallery for nine years in Upper Willis Street, Wellington, where he represented a several senior artists who continue to achieve record prices in the secondary market to this day.

Mark has years of experience of judging art competitions for Pātaka Art+Museum, Mahara Gallery, Hutt Art Society, and Wellington Sculpture Trust and looks forward to being part of the judging panel for this year’s IHC Art Awards.

Elizabeth Caldwell has been working in the NZ visual arts sector for more than 25 years and received an ONZM for her services to the arts in the 2022 King’s New Year’s Honours.  She is currently Te Ringa Auaha | Director Art & Heritage at Experience Wellington, with responsibility for the oversight of the conceptual content of the exhibitions at all its sites, including City Gallery Wellington Te Whare Toi and Wellington Museum.

Professional roles prior to this include Director City Gallery Wellington Te Whare Toi, Director at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Head of Art at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Visual Arts Manager at Creative New Zealand Toi Aotearoa, and Curator of Contemporary Art at the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu.

Photo by Celeste Fontein.