Commenting on Objectspace under her leadership, the jury said “Objectspace has become Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading gallery dedicated to the fields of design, craft and architecture. Over the last 20 years, Paton and Objectspace have supported architecture, not only through exhibitions and publications, but also by engaging with architects.”

In her acceptance speech, Paton said she was honoured to receive the award bearing Wendy Garvey’s name. “In 2018 we undertook an exhibition on the closure of the Architecture and Planning library [at Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland] with photographer Sam Hartnett, Lucy Treep and Anna Miles. Wendy’s enduring work as architectural librarian was woven through that project.”

Paton said that the exhibition had become one of many incredibly formative projects for herself and the Objectspace team. Projects on the library, John Scott, Rewi Thompson, digitising the image archives of Dr Mike Austin, and “playing a small role in the preservation of crafted objects from [Sir Ian] Athfield’s audacious First Church of Christ Scientist in the weeks before it was demolished” have been an immense privilege, she said. “And it all points to a great deal more work that needs to be done.”

Paton thanked her “small and mighty team” including Zoe Black, Victoria McAdam, Natalie Bascand, Olivia Stewart and Emily Gardener, the Objectspace board, The Warren Trust and Te Kāhui Whaihanga for extending work into Sir Miles Warren Gallery in Ōtautahi Christchurch and the architecture community in Tāmaki Makaurau. In thanking the Auckland branch of Te Kāhui Whaihanga for the award, she said: “It is lovely and edifying to be acknowledged.”