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Avis Higgs

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In 1951 Higgs travelled to England, but returned to New Zealand in 1952 after a car accident. The trauma of her car accident spelled the end of Higgs’ career as a textile designer, and on her return to New Zealand painting became her focus. In the 1950s and 1960s Higgs was a very active member of the
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and in February 1936 enrolled at the Art School of Wellington Technical College. She did not complete her course in design but was recommended by one of her tutors for a design position at National Distributors Ltd in Wellington, where Higgs undertook lettering and poster design work and learned the
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into a family of artists. Both her great grandfather and her grandfather were highly regarded Tasmanian landscape painters. Avis’s father, Sydney Higgs, was a well-known Wellington watercolourist who exhibited at the New Zealand Academy of Arts between 1921 and 1971. She attended
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1985: Winner of the IBM New Zealand Fine Arts Award. In 2006 Higgs was awarded the Governor-General’s Art Award for her contribution to New Zealand art, and given a retrospective of her work at the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts.
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In Australia Higgs applied for a role at Sydney firm Silk & Textile Printers, and from 1941 to 1946 she was the company’s head designer. Here Higgs drew on the Sydney environment for her textiles designs, especially nearby
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Higgs returned to New Zealand in 1948. As in Australia Higgs drew on her surroundings for her work, creating designs based on native plants, flowers, and taonga held at the
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principles of screenprinting. With the outbreak of the Second World War Higgs resigned from National Distributors and trained as a nurse; however, while on section at
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Following her illness an aunt suggested a convalescent holiday in Sydney, and Higgs resigned from nursing to accept this offer.
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1937: Second place in League of Nations' national poster design competition for the best poster symbolising peace.
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1945: Commonwealth Government commendation from the Australian Federal Treasurer and Prime Minister
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1968: Special Merit prize from the National Bank of New Zealand for watercolour painting.
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1964: Winner of the National Bank of New Zealand Art award for watercolour painting.
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Higgs was inducted into the College of Creative Arts Toi Rauwharangi (
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Plaque with a quote from Avis Higgs in Tinakore Village, Wellington
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Massey University College of Creative Arts Toi Rauwharangi
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New Zealand textile designer and artist (1918–2016)
525:People educated at Wellington East Girls' College 491: 269:) Hall of Fame in 2010, along with ceramicist 326: 186:Wellington artistic community, including the 291:, Hawke's Bay Museum and Art Gallery (now 353:"Watercolour History: Artist: Avis Higgs" 430: 428: 426: 424: 422: 420: 236: 229:. She died on 14 October 2016, aged 98. 322: 320: 318: 316: 314: 312: 310: 308: 492: 397: 331:. Napier: Hawke's Bay Cultural Trust. 417: 393: 391: 364: 362: 173: 398:Enting, Carolyn (22 November 2010). 305: 157: 13: 388: 359: 14: 536: 400:"A 92-year-old fashion rock star" 370:"Raising a glass with Avis Higgs" 188:New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts 329:Avis Higgs : joie de vivre 327:Lloyd-Jenkins, Douglas (2000). 192:Wellington Architectural Centre 472: 458: 436:"Avis Higgs: Textile designer" 345: 276: 232: 201:In 1999 Higgs was included in 143:Wellington East Girls' College 97:Winifred Higgs (née Patterson) 76:Wellington East Girls' College 1: 520:New Zealand textile designers 298: 131: 7: 10: 541: 136:Higgs was born in 1918 in 289:Avis Higgs: joie de vivre 227:Avis Higgs: joie de vivre 109: 101: 91: 81: 71: 59: 30: 23: 196:Helen Hitchings Gallery 285:, The Dowse Art Museum 242: 515:New Zealand designers 240: 207:The Dowse Art Museum 105:Marie Higgs (sister) 510:New Zealand artists 446:on 19 December 2014 148:Wellington Hospital 126:Avis Winifred Higgs 95:Sydney Hamlet Higgs 35:Avis Winifred Higgs 468:. 30 October 2016. 243: 174:New Zealand career 376:. 7 November 2013 283:The Eighties Show 267:Massey University 203:The Eighties Show 158:Australian career 123: 122: 45:21 September 1918 532: 484: 483: 476: 470: 469: 462: 456: 455: 453: 451: 442:. Archived from 432: 415: 414: 412: 410: 395: 386: 385: 383: 381: 366: 357: 356: 349: 343: 342: 324: 211:Doreen Blumhardt 194:Gallery and the 119: 116: 86:Textile designer 66: 44: 42: 21: 20: 540: 539: 535: 534: 533: 531: 530: 529: 490: 489: 488: 487: 478: 477: 473: 464: 463: 459: 449: 447: 434: 433: 418: 408: 406: 396: 389: 379: 377: 368: 367: 360: 351: 350: 346: 339: 325: 306: 301: 293:MTG Hawke's Bay 286: 279: 235: 215:John Drawbridge 180:National Museum 176: 160: 150:she contracted 134: 113: 96: 64: 63:14 October 2016 55: 46: 40: 38: 37: 36: 26: 17: 12: 11: 5: 538: 528: 527: 522: 517: 512: 507: 502: 486: 485: 471: 457: 416: 387: 374:MTG Hawkes Bay 358: 344: 337: 303: 302: 300: 297: 278: 275: 234: 231: 175: 172: 159: 156: 133: 130: 121: 120: 111: 107: 106: 103: 99: 98: 93: 89: 88: 83: 79: 78: 73: 69: 68: 67:(aged 98) 61: 57: 56: 47: 34: 32: 28: 27: 24: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 537: 526: 523: 521: 518: 516: 513: 511: 508: 506: 503: 501: 498: 497: 495: 481: 475: 467: 461: 445: 441: 437: 431: 429: 427: 425: 423: 421: 405: 401: 394: 392: 375: 371: 365: 363: 354: 348: 340: 334: 330: 323: 321: 319: 317: 315: 313: 311: 309: 304: 296: 294: 290: 284: 274: 272: 268: 263: 259: 256: 253: 251: 246: 239: 230: 228: 224: 220: 216: 212: 208: 204: 199: 197: 193: 189: 183: 181: 171: 169: 163: 155: 153: 149: 144: 139: 129: 127: 118: 112: 108: 104: 100: 94: 90: 87: 84: 80: 77: 74: 70: 62: 58: 54: 50: 33: 29: 22: 19: 474: 460: 448:. Retrieved 444:the original 439: 407:. Retrieved 403: 378:. Retrieved 373: 347: 328: 288: 282: 280: 271:Manos Nathan 264: 260: 257: 254: 247: 244: 226: 223:Juliet Peter 202: 200: 184: 177: 164: 161: 135: 125: 124: 65:(2016-10-14) 18: 505:2016 deaths 500:1918 births 450:19 December 409:19 December 404:Stuff.co.nz 380:19 December 277:Exhibitions 250:Ben Chifley 233:Recognition 168:Bondi Beach 53:New Zealand 494:Categories 338:0473067382 299:References 152:diphtheria 138:Wellington 82:Occupation 49:Wellington 41:1918-09-21 25:Avis Higgs 219:Roy Cowan 132:Education 115:avishiggs 102:Relatives 92:Parent(s) 72:Education 110:Website 335:  287:2000: 281:1999: 190:, the 452:2014 411:2014 382:2014 333:ISBN 221:and 117:.com 60:Died 31:Born 205:at 496:: 438:. 419:^ 402:. 390:^ 372:. 361:^ 307:^ 295:) 217:, 213:, 182:. 154:. 51:, 482:. 454:. 413:. 384:. 355:. 341:. 43:) 39:(

Index

Wellington
New Zealand
Wellington East Girls' College
Textile designer
avishiggs.com
Wellington
Wellington East Girls' College
Wellington Hospital
diphtheria
Bondi Beach
National Museum
New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts
Wellington Architectural Centre
Helen Hitchings Gallery
The Dowse Art Museum
Doreen Blumhardt
John Drawbridge
Roy Cowan
Juliet Peter
Words etched into a concrete paver by Avis Higgs. They say "Best lesson learnt: to be myself and follow my own ideas rather than follow others."
Ben Chifley
Massey University
Manos Nathan
MTG Hawke's Bay





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