John Scott was born in 1945 and attended the University of Otago. His artworks include paintings, sculpture, mixed media works and photography. Associated involvement in the arts has included his leadership in the NZ Polytechnic system, as CEO of both Wanganui Polytechnic and the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology. Scott also served as president of the New Zealand Crafts Council and has been actively involved in writing on the arts and crafts, and judging arts and crafts both here and overseas.
His work is represented in public galleries and in private collections both in New Zealand and overseas. Selected major commissions include the BOP Polytechnic, Manakau Polytechnic, the Price Waterhouse building in Auckland, Wellington City Library, and the CPIT engineering building. Scott is currently CEO of the Bahrain Polytechnic.