A DESTINATION Wairoa Playground building is set for a spruce-up, but Council needs help from local artists and art enthusiasts to give it the makeover it deserves.

Wairoa District Council and Eastland Network are teaming up to give one lucky artist an opportunity to throw their brush into the ring and paint a mural on the Eastland Network substation building at the playground on Marine Parade.

Council and Eastland Network are encouraging local artists to submit a design. The lucky artist who is selected will have an opportunity to paint their masterpiece all over the substation building. Students from local schools are also encouraged to submit their designs.

Council’s Chief Executive Steven May says the job now is for locals to get their creative caps on and submit a design towards this art project.

“The competition will open today, Thursday 7 November to 5pm and will close on Saturday 7 December,” Mr May says.

Eastland Network, which supplies power to the Wairoa region, is sponsoring the initiative.

“The Network team were due to give the substation a fresh coat of paint, but given its high profile location we thought it would be the perfect spot to do something far more creative,” says Matt Todd, chief executive of Eastland Network’s parent company, Eastland Group.

“It will be a great showcase of local Wairoa talent, and we’re delighted to partner with the Wairoa District Council on this initiative.”

The substation will be prepped so it’s a blank canvas ready for the artist. Eastland Network will provide all the paint required, plus a koha for the artist of $1,000.

Wairoa Mayor Craig Little says this project was an ingenious way to beautify our town and showcase some of the “awesome” artistic talent in this community.

“I am thrilled to see this project come to fruition, and a little competition is always great,” Mr Little said.

“I would like to thank Eastland Network for supporting our community through this project and partnership.

“I have seen through social media just how empowering and captivating a community mural can be – when it’s created by your own people… and we want to help inject more love and excitement in this town.”

To submit a design for this art competition you can drop in to the Wairoa i-SITE or email austin@wairoadc.govt.nz for more information. Don’t forget to leave your name and your contact details.

The winner will be announced on Monday 9 December 2019 by phone first and on Council’s Facebook page.

18 November 2019

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