Parton studied Design and Fine Arts at Massey University's College of Creative Arts, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours in Time-based Media in 2003. She taught at the college between 2004 and 2006, in 2008, and again in 2013. Since 2014 she has been a Lecturer in Critical Studies in the College's School of Art where she also contributes to studio programmes. Parton completed the International Institute of Modern Letters Masters in Creative Writing in 2013.
Career
Her single channel video work, she's so usual (2003), was included in Telecom Prospect 2004: New Art, New Zealand - an inaugural survey of contemporary art at Wellington's City Gallery. Since then she has featured in a number of group shows and has held six solo exhibitions, including Guidance at The Physics Room, Christchurch and The Way at The City Gallery Wellington, both in 2007.
Parton has also created cover art for her partner Luke Buda's solo albums, and had a piece of her writing published in the journal Turbine.
In 2016, a feminist collective of five artists which she belongs to, Fantasing, received a 2016 Audio Foundation Artists in Residence award. Also in 2016, Parton spent three months as an artist-in-residence at an arts centre in Malaysia on an Asia New Zealand Foundation grant.
Parton has Cook Islands heritage and was a founding member of the New Zealand Cook Islands Arts Collective.
Personal life
Parton lives in Wellington with her partner, musician Luke Buda (The Phoenix Foundation), and their two sons.
Exhibitions
Solo Shows
March - April 2009: Bright Light, Twinset, Christchurch Art Gallery, Christchurch.
