The arts community is reeling over the University of Otago’s decision to "pause" two prominent fellowships which have launched the careers of some of the country’s most notable artists.

The Otago Daily Times has received an email from Otago University pro-vice-chancellor humanities Prof Hugh Campbell that said it would not have a Frances Hodgkins Fellow for arts or Mozart Fellow for music next year.

The fellowships would have been worth about $97,000 for the recipients next year.

Prof Campbell blamed the economic situation.

"While it was initially thought that funding these fellowships for 2026 could go ahead, recent volatility in international investment markets has created unacceptable levels of risk to the ongoing viability of the funds should they have gone ahead.

"This is a hold on these fellowship offerings and the university is committed to ensuring that these fellowships remain a long-term part of our community and the wider New Zealand arts landscape."

Artist Grahame Sydney, a 1978 fellow, said for many artists it provided them the security of being able to employ their craft in a creative environment.

"It is a wonderful gift, that ability to be nothing but a painter or a sculptor or whatever for a whole year without interruption and with some degree of financial support.

"For me, it wasn’t the gift of a full-time year — I was already doing that.

"But it was certainly a huge contributor to the notion of your standing in the arts community.

"The fellowship was the first of the arts fellowships in New Zealand and being given it was sort of like a gold medal in many ways."

Many of the artists who were awarded fellowships ended up staying in Dunedin for longer than their tenure, Sydney said.

"It had that magnetic attraction and a lot of people discovered how much they loved Dunedin and did not leave after having had the fellowship.

"And that changed Dunedin in many ways, too."

This year’s Mozart Fellow Dr Simon Eastwood said the pause was hugely disappointing news.

"The Otago Arts Fellowships are an absolute taonga for the arts in Aotearoa in so many ways.

"At the most obvious level, they provide artists with the time they need to focus on their craft and develop new ideas away from the pressing needs of the gig economy and the need to pay the bills".

Dr Eastwood, who moved to Dunedin about 18 months ago, said he had seen the impact the fellowships had on the city.

"They also enrich the cultural life of the country as a whole.

"A list of previous arts fellows includes some of the greatest creative thinkers our country has had and some of our best art has arisen directly from the time artists spend here in Ōtepoti — I’m not including myself on that list, by the way."

The year-long Frances Hodgkins Fellowship began in 1966; its first recipient was Michael Illingworth. Notable fellows include Ralph Hotere, Grahame Sydney and Jeffrey Harris.

It was named after Dunedin-born Frances Hodgkins, one of New Zealand’s most distinguished painters.

The Mozart Fellowship was first awarded to Anthony A. Watson in 1970; other notable fellows include Anthony Ritchie and Gillian Whitehead.

At Otago University, arts fellows receive a studio or office space and not less than the minimum salary of a full-time university lecturer for the year.

Dunedin Public Art Gallery director Cam McCracken said the Frances Hodgkins Fellowship held a significant place in New Zealand’s arts landscape. "While it’s a little disappointing to see the fellowship paused, I understand this is due to economic pressures.

"I fully support the decision if it helps the university stabilise its resources and ensures the fellowship’s long-term future."

Prof Campbell said it was not a decision the university had come to lightly.

"The trust funds that support these two fellowships have become increasingly at risk of over-allocation over recent years ... and the university was not in a financial position to supplement these fellowships, as it has in the past."

The fellowships were originally established through endowments and have since been managed in trust funds by the university.

"We are deeply disappointed that we have to pause offering these fellowships for the short-term," Prof Campbell said.

matthew.littlewood@odt.co.nz