Biography
1968 Born Pahiatua.N.Z
1988-89 Attained Craft Design Certificate from Hawkes Bay Polytechnic,Hawkes Bay.
1989-90 Attained Craft Design Diploma (Maori),from Waiariki Polytechnic,Rotorua.Group exhibition:Rotorua Artists 1989,Bath House,Rotorua.
1990 Group Exhibition Te Ao Marama ,Bath House Rotorua. Received Vocational Award in Recognition of Achievement in Craft Design,Rotorua.
1991 Exhibited with the Graduates Exhibition 1991 Craft Council Gallery, Wellington. She received a QEII Arts Council of N.Z grant for the New Artist Promotion Scheme. Returned to Hawkes Bay to set up a studio at Otatara Arts & Crafts centre. First solo exhibition Lights, Waiariki Polytechnic, Rotorua.
1992 Received a second QE11 Arts Council of NZ grant for the Emerging Craft Artist section. This grant allowed her to invest in sculpting tools. Prize winner, Pahiatua Art Award Exhibition, for three-dimensional work. Solo exhibition: Metal Works, Bowen Galleries, Wellington. Group Exhibitions: Hawkes Bay Craft Review Medallions '92, Hawkes Bay Museum, Napier: A Sense of Presence, Masterworks, Auckland; Medallions Group, Ferner Gallery, Auckland: Small World's Artist Medallions, Auckland Museum: Art in Craft, Academy of Fine Arts, Wellington.
1992-93 Group exhibition: Birds of a Feather, Bath House, Rotorua: No Man's Land, Dowse Art Museum, Lower Hutt.
1993 Purvis relocated to Auckland and set up a studio in Point Chevalier. Solo Exhibitions: Cu - Works in Copper, Masterworks Gallery Auckland ; New Works, Bowen Galleries, Wellington. Group exhibitions: Four Strong Winds, Dowse Art Museum;The Great New Zealand Wind Up(a toy exhibition),Hawkes Bay Museum; Pine Symposium, Hawkes Bay Polytechnic; Body Adornment, Masterworks Gallery Auckland.
1994 Awarded the Commonwealth Fellowship in Arts and Crafts for the Pacific Region, allowing her to travel and work through the U.K and Europe. She focused on foundry practices at the Scottish Sculpture Workshops in Aberdeen. Solo Exhibitions: Bronzes and Related Works, Peacock Printers Gallery,Aberdeen; Five Works, Bowen Galleries, Wellington. Group Exhibitions: Blue Cowboys, Newcastle; FIDEM 1994, Budapest, Hungary. NZ Group Shows: April Review, Masterworks Gallery, Auckland; Medallions-Small Sculpture, Ferner Gallery; Garden Art, Bay of Islands Arts Festival, Kerikeri; Little Jewels, NZ Festival of the Arts, Wellington, and FIDEM.
1995 Group exhibitions:To have and to hold, Ferner Gallery, Ten Years of Waiariki Polytechnic,Te Taumata Gallery, Auckland:H2O, Dowse Art Museum. Finalist, Wallace Art Awards Auckland.
1996 Solo Exhibition: Tools, Bowen Galleries, Wellington: Sculpture, Masterworks. Group exhibition:New Zealand Garden Sculpture, Women's Refuge Fundraising Exhibition, Beecroft Gardens , Auckland.
1997 Worked on the restoration of St Mathews in the City, Auckland. Solo Exhibition: Site Hawkes Bay Museum produced catalogue Site. Group Exhibitions:Fume, Lopdell House Gallery, Auckland: Black and White , Bowen Galleries. Contributed Aid Foundation fund raiser Wellington.
1998 Participated Women's Refuse Fundraising Exhibition, Beecroft Gardens Auckland: Solo exhibitions: Standstill, Bowen Galleries: Measured, Artis Gallery; Group Exhibitions: Medallions, Ferner Gallery: Vineyard Sculpture Exhibition, Cooper Creek Heap: Miniature, Bowen Galleries: Now Selling, Manawatu Art Gallery, Palmerston North: Christmas show, Artis Gallery: Finalist James Wallace Art Awards
1999-2000 Worked on the restoration of Auckland War Memorial Museum. Taught part-time design technology at Western Springs College, Auckland. Carved six New Zealand Coat Of Arms in marble for the Manukau Courts, Auckland. Group Exhibitions included Vineyard Sculpture Exhibition.
2001 Solo Exhibition: Hewen, Artis Gallery,Auckland, produced catalogue Hewen. Group show, Sculptors Marquettes, Auckland War Memorial Museum.
2002 Group Exhibiton: Changing Spaces, New Zealand Sculpture Now, International Festival of the Arts.
2003 Public commission Te Puna Wai Ora Petone Wellington installed. Relocated studio Corbans Estate Henderson. Solo exhibition, New Works, Bowen Galleries.
Lindisfarne School commission, Hawkes Bay.
2004 Commissioned to make Promise Boat by The Edmiston Trust, as part of the Sculpture 2001 group.
2005 Installed Promise Boat, Auckland Domain. Solo Exhibition: New Works, Bowen Galleries. Negotiations for Seismic began with The Wellington Sculpture Trust. Donated a work to be placed on the Rainbow Warrior for the anniversary of ten years since her sinking.
2006 Invited to participate in a symposium and produced Land-map at Ishou University in Taiwan. On returning to New Zealand installed Catchment, Waitakere City Council, and Seismic, Wellington Sculpture Trust. Group Exhibition: Splore 06.
2007 Solo Exhibitions: Tributary, Bowen Galleries; Landward, Bath Street, Auckland. Installed Landmap II , Queenstown. Exhibited in the Auckland Art Fair. Completed Homage to Crown Lynn, Olympic Park, New Lynn, Auckland. Group Exhibition: Hawkes Bay Review.
2008 Works begun on New Lynn Transport Interchange Louise appointed Lead Artist for the project. Established own web site. Group Exhibition Splore 08.
2009 Worked part time in a bronze foundry: Solo Exhibition , Formed Land, Bowen Galleries. Exhibited Auckland Art Fair. Group Exhibition:Headlands Sculpture on the gulf, Dispensary. Prize winner Sealink small sculpture Exhibition Waiheke Island. Worked as props maker Yogi Bear movie.
2010 Installed Tributary II, Queenstown. Exhibited Brick Bay Sculpture Trail. New Lynn rail interchange opened. Group Exhibition Ten New Zealand Sculptors, Black Barn Gallery, Havelock North
2011 Solo Exhibition, System, Bath Street Gallery, White Night in conjunction with Bath Street Gallery Auckland, produced catalogue System. Group Exhibition: Hawkes Bay Review. Worked set deck fabricator on television production Spartacus. Exhibited Auckland Art Fair.
2012 Solo Exhibition,Shelter, Bowen Galleries Wellington, New Lynn rail station received planning and urban design award from The New Zealand Institute of Architects
Hanging together group show Hedspace Gallery Masterton. Worked Progressive castings foundry Auckland
2013 Off the wall group show Waiheke art gallery
Commissions
1996 Voyager, The James Wallace Arts Trust,Auckland
1999 Ripple, Heritage Towers,Auckland. N.Z Coat of Arms, Manukau Courts, Auckland.
2003 Te Puna Wai Ora, Hutt City Council. Lindisfarne School Hawkes Bay.
2005 Promise Boat, Edmiston Trust, Auckland
2006 Land-map, Ishou university, Taiwan. Catchment, Waitakere City. Seismic, Wellington Sculpture Trust.
2007 Homage to Crown Lynn, Olympic Park, Auckland
2009 Cages, The James Wallace Arts Trust
2010 New Lynn Rail Corridor, Auckland,