Artist in residence 2011
2011 artist - Clare Cowan
Claire Cowan, 2011 Artist in Residence
The Auckland regional parks residency enables a selected artist to live in and work from a park based house or bach for two months. New work created by the artist in response to this experience is later shared with the park visitors and the public.
While based at Mahurangi Regional Park Claire will create a compilation of works sparked by living by the Mahurangi Harbour. She will record these compositions there and will design the accompanying CD notes to explain their origins. A public performance of the new Mahurangi compositions is anticipated at Scott Homestead on completion of her residency.
“This is the first time we have had a resident composer and we relish the opportunity to have sounds stimulated and shaped from living on a park emerge for others to hear.
The selection panel were impressed not only by the quality and the diversity of her work but by her willingness to collaborate with other musicians and artists to bring new music to ‘new ears’. Claire simply outshone her fellow applicants.” Councillor Sandra Coney
Claire’s energy, enthusiasm and achievements have seen her very busy over past years. This regional park based residency will be a chance for her to slow down, and immerse herself in a more tranquil place. Here she will have the freedom to create completely her own work, un-constrained by the needs of clients or commissioners.
For a young composer Claire Cowan has had a stellar career. Following completion of a music degree (with honours) at Auckland University Claire freelanced as a professional cellist and session musician, and has also worked as a designer, photographer and actor. However she is better known for an eclectic range of compositions and often crafts her work for dance, film and theatre directors
Claire is the co-instigator of the Society for Brilliant Ideas, a collective studio space in the CBD for artist and musicians; a member of Toad, a country /folk/rock band and the Blackbird Ensemble.
Claire will move from Grey Lynn to her temporary parkland home in Mahurangi Regional Park in mid October.
