Arts leader Sue Paterson dies
Festival director extraordinaire Sue Paterson has died, aged 65, following a long battle with cancer.
Paterson was executive director of the biennial New Zealand Festival and the annual Wellington Jazz Festival from 2009.
She was previously the marketing director of the New Zealand Festival from 1994 to 1998.
In 2017, she was named Metlifecare Senior New Zealander of the Year in recognition of her 40 years of service to arts and culture. She was made an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2004.
Paterson was also heavily involved in other areas of the arts and culture scene, including the Limbs dance company and the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council.
She was responsible for bringing the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo to Wellington in 2016, and was a board member of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra for several years.
Her career also included stints with the London Contemporary Dance School and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust.
Paterson lived in Wellington for 30 years, spending most of that time in Island Bay.
Meg Williams, the current executive director of the New Zealand Festival, worked alongside Paterson for more than six years and remembered her as an ‘‘inspirational leader’’.
‘‘Sue was . . . always extremely generous with her time and expertise. I was lucky enough to be one of the hundreds of people in the arts sector who she supported and championed. It is a huge loss and she will be greatly missed.
‘‘[She] made an extraordinary contribution to the festival, leading the team to success over four festivals, six Wellington Jazz Festivals, and four Lexus Song Quests.’’
Wellington Mayor Justin Lester paid tribute to Paterson, describing her as a ‘‘lovely person’’ who did outstanding work in the arts sector over a long period of time.
‘‘She led the New Zealand Festival with flair and energy. Even before that, she was instrumental in turning around the fortunes of the Royal New Zealand Ballet Company as its general manager in the 1990s.’’