Porritt Park mural competition

Porritt Park mural competition

Thames Community Board and the Guild of Public Artists have invited local schools to contribute to a mural that will cover the western (park-facing) wall of the new toilet block being installed in Thames' Porritt Park.

Construction work on the new toilet block will be starting in the next two weeks with part of the playground removed in preparation in the next week. This construction will include a hard landscaping plaza around the new toilet area, and work will continue over September.

The old toilet will continue to be in use until we open the new one.

While construction progresses on site, back in the schools, the art will be taking shape.

Participating primary school students will submit designs to be judged and the selected designs will be painted by the students onto large panels to be installed on the toilet block wall.

Local Thames mural artist and retired surgeon Paul Sylvester will lead the judging panel (Dr Paul Sylvester, Nikky Fisher and Deb MacDonald Brown) and work with the teachers and students to plan the mural design. You can see an example of Paul's mural art at Thames Hospital on the bund wall opposite the hospital cafe.

The judging panel will be looking for six entries that will combine to make the three panels.

Competition timeline

The deadline for entries is Friday 16 October.

The mural art entries will also be displayed publicly on Labour weekend ahead of the official judging on the Monday of Labour weekend.

Then from Tuesday 27 October through to Friday 27 November, students will paint the final mural with donated brushes and acrylic paint. The completed panels will be installed by TCDC staff and contractors.

A public celebratory launch will be held in December before the end of school term and gracing the Porritt Park playground in time for the summer peak season.

What makes good mural art?

Mural art is bold and colourful.

It should be easily seen from the other side of the playground.

To test this, if you are drawing on A3 paper (or two pieces of A4 paper put together) whatever you have drawn or painted should be easily recognisable from the other side of the classroom.

Want some inspiration?

Themes could include Thames' history, especially history relating to Maori stories (Porritt Park is near to the site of early settlements, wharenui and gardens), Porritt Park itself (a peace playground established after World War 1 with redevelopment by the Lions' Club in 1972) or birds we see on the wetlands along the shore of the Firth of Thames.

You can set up at Forest and Bird's bird hide by Goldfields' Mall or follow the underfoot gallery up to Moanatairari and on to Kuranui Bay for great views of shorebirds, mudflats, stunning sunsets and more.

Be bold and let your artistic vision shine.

Entry details to remember

Entries on A3 size paper (or 2 x A4 pages together) to be delivered to TCDC offices by Friday October 16 2015.

ENDS

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