# Russell Beck > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Russell_Beck > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Russell_Beck.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Beck > Source revision: 1347515412 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|New Zealand artist and museum director}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=March 2022}} {{Infobox artist | name = Russell Beck | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|ONZM|size=100%}} | birth_name = Russell Joseph Beck | birth_date = {{birth date|1941|02|21|df=y}} | birth_place = [Invercargill](/source/Invercargill), New Zealand | death_date = {{death date and age|2018|02|10|1941|02|21|df=y}} | death_place = Invercargill, New Zealand | known_for = Museum director, artist | children = 3, including [Peter Beck](/source/Peter_Beck) (son) }} '''Russell Joseph Beck''' {{post-nominals|country=NZL|ONZM|size=85%}} (21 February 1941 – 10 February 2018) was a New Zealand archaeologist, museum curator, and artist.{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Pat Veltkamp |date=2018-02-16 |title=Russell Beck obituary: Saying goodbye to a treasure |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/101495566/russell-beck-obituary-saying-goodbye-to-a-treasure |access-date=2022-03-08 |website=[Stuff](/source/Stuff_(website)) |language=en |archive-date=12 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211212232101/https://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/101495566/russell-beck-obituary-saying-goodbye-to-a-treasure |url-status=live }} He has three children, one of whom is [Peter Beck](/source/Peter_Beck), founder of aerospace company [Rocket Lab](/source/Rocket_Lab). == Biography == Beck came from an old settler family in [Southland](/source/Southland%2C_New_Zealand), with his great-grandfather arriving in 1863. He was one of six children (four girls, two boys) and was educated at Waihopai Primary School and then Southland Technical College.{{Cite journal |last=Prickett |first=Nigel |title=Russell Beck - Obituary |journal=Archaeology in New Zealand |volume=64 |issue=4 |pages=5–16|date=December 2021|publisher=NZ Archaeological Association|url=https://nzarchaeology.org/download/obituary-beck-vol-64-no-4}} He had a wide interest in science which was developed at secondary school. He developed an interest in geology when aged 10 or 11 when digging a long-drop toilet at the family's [crib](/source/Bach_(New_Zealand)) (holiday home) in [Te Anau](/source/Te_Anau), and took up astronomy and built a six-inch reflecting telescope which formed the basis of a home observatory, followed in 1959 by a 12-inch [Cassegrain telescope](/source/Cassegrain_telescope) which he later donated to the [Southland Museum and Art Gallery](/source/Southland_Museum_and_Art_Gallery) and installed in the observatory constructed in 1972. From 1961, Beck began volunteering his weekends at Southland Museum while undertaking a motor mechanic apprenticeship in his father's business, and he was offered a job at the museum in 1965. In 1976, Beck was appointed as museum director following Arthur McKenzie. Throughout his career, Beck's research focused on [jade](/source/jade) from around the world, producing five books on the topic, and creating the Beck International Jade Research Collection (now housed by [GNS Science](/source/GNS_Science) in [Lower Hutt](/source/Lower_Hutt)). He became known as a qualified gemmologist and skilled mineralogist, particularly when working with [pounamu](/source/pounamu), and undertook efforts to educate and support local [Māori](/source/M%C4%81ori_people) on pounamu.{{Cite journal |last=Cox |first=Simon |title=Russell Beck - Obituary |journal=Archaeology in New Zealand |volume=64 |issue=4 |pages=5–16}}{{Cite journal |last=Adams |first=Chris |title=Russell Beck- Obituary |journal=Archaeology in New Zealand |volume=64 |issue=4 |pages=7}}{{Cite journal |last=Ritchie |first=Neville |title=Russell Beck- Obituary |journal=Archaeology in New Zealand |volume=64 |issue=4 |pages=5–16}}{{Cite journal |last=Sand |first=Christophe |title=Russell Beck- Obituary |journal=Archaeology in New Zealand |volume=64 |issue=4 |pages=5–16}}{{Cite journal |last=Whaanga |first=Dean |title=Russell Beck- Obituary |journal=Archaeology in New Zealand |volume=64 |issue=4 |pages=5–16}}{{Cite web |date=2018-02-12 |title=Southern pounamu expert, artist dies age 76 |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/west-coast/southern-pounamu-expert-artist-dies-age-76 |access-date=2022-03-08 |website=[Otago Daily Times](/source/Otago_Daily_Times) |language=en |archive-date=16 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416072354/https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/west-coast/southern-pounamu-expert-artist-dies-age-76 |url-status=live }} Beck helped to establish a restricted area in the [Mount Aspiring National Park](/source/Mount_Aspiring_National_Park), which is now a {{lang|mi|tōpuni}} (protected area), to protect [iwi](/source/iwi) access to pounamu deposits. Beck also supported [Ngāi Tahu](/source/Ng%C4%81i_Tahu) leaders in a variety of aspects, including managing the physical environment and reburying {{lang|mi|kōiwi}} (human bodies). He was also a trustee for the ''[Te Maori](/source/Te_Maori)'' pounamu mauri stone which accompanied the exhibition in 1984. thumb|Anchor Chain Sculpture, Russell Beck, Lee Bay, Rakiura Track Beck supported local artists, and produced a large number of works in and around Southland. He was also an artist himself, creating the controversial giant chain connecting [Bluff](/source/Bluff%2C_New_Zealand) to [Stewart Island / Rakiura](/source/Stewart_Island_%2F_Rakiura) at [Stirling Point](/source/Stirling_Point) with his three sons and his wife, Ann.{{Cite web |date=2009-01-31 |title=Bluff to replicate anchor chain sculpture |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/466612/Bluff-to-replicate-anchor-chain-sculpture |access-date=2022-03-08 |website=[Stuff](/source/Stuff_(website)) |language=en |archive-date=8 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308123631/https://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/466612/Bluff-to-replicate-anchor-chain-sculpture |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last1=Lind |first1=Greg |last2=Taonga |first2=New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu |title=Entrance to Rakiura National Park |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/37619/entrance-to-rakiura-national-park |access-date=2022-03-08 |website=[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand](/source/Te_Ara%3A_The_Encyclopedia_of_New_Zealand) |language=en |archive-date=8 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308123641/https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/37619/entrance-to-rakiura-national-park |url-status=live }} Some of his jade sculptures are held in [Dowse Art Museum](/source/Dowse_Art_Museum) collections.{{Cite web |title=Russell Beck |url=https://collection.dowse.org.nz/persons/165/russell-beck |access-date=2022-03-08 |website=The Dowse Art Museum Collection Online |language=en |archive-date=8 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308123636/https://collection.dowse.org.nz/persons/165/russell-beck |url-status=live }} == Honours == In the [2000 New Year Honours](/source/2000_New_Year_Honours_(New_Zealand)), Beck was appointed an [Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit](/source/New_Zealand_Order_of_Merit), for services to art and local history. == References == {{Scholia|id=Q88496116}} {{Reflist}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Beck, Russell}} Category:1941 births Category:2018 deaths Category:New Zealand archaeologists Category:People from Invercargill Category:New Zealand curators Category:Directors of museums in New Zealand Category:20th-century New Zealand male artists Category:21st-century New Zealand male artists Category:20th-century New Zealand sculptors Category:21st-century New Zealand sculptors Category:New Zealand carvers Category:Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Russell Beck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Beck) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Beck?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.