28 September 2016

Lyall Bay Surf Club becomes massive canvas today for artist fundraising for restoration

Local artists rally together to help fundraise for Wellington’s oldest Surf Life Saving Club by turning the old building into a work of art before it gets torn down in the next week.

Lyall Bay Surf Club has been saving Wellington lives since 1910. Situated on one of Wellington’s wildest and windiest beaches, the old 1950s clubhouse is now beyond repair, prompting a massive restoration project that has engaged the city’s community of artists.

To fundraise for this new building, the exterior of the building will become one giant canvas for iconic street artist Damin Radford-Scott, who will be aiming to cover the club house from top to toe with a giant pop-up mural by the end of today.

The goal is to draw attention to the important role that the volunteers at Lyall Bay Surf Club play in the Wellington community, and encourage donations to cover the cost of renovation.

Once painted, the club will then be torn down with care so that the pieces can be cut up and auctioned at a gala event and exhibition in February 2017.

The event will be curated by Lyall Bay Surf Club’s Ian McIntosh and will see a host of other artists contribute work. Contributors include Clare Matthews, Bruce Mahalski, Sean Duffle, Flox, Michael McCormack, Donna Cross, Juliet Best, Alfred Memelink, Brian Nelson, Bruce Luxford, Liz Ritchie and Jack Candlish. They also plan to auction one of the pieces via a TradeMe auction.

“The Club is fiercely proud of the 125 years we’ve spent saving lives, teaching kids a love of the ocean, and creating champions”, says McIntosh.

“It is great to see that after helping the Wellington community, that the same people are so keen to help us.”

The project is part of a series of initiatives to fundraise for the Club. Leading artists, chefs, brewers, and musicians have all stepped in to help raise the additional funds needed for the new building. The art exhibition and gala will also be accompanied by a concert by Fly My Pretties to raise funds for the project.

ABOUT DAMIN RADFORD-SCOTT
Wellingtonians will recognize Radford-Scott’s work as one of the most prolific street artists in the capital. As part of the former artist duo BMD and DSIDE, he’s spent more than a decade adorning walls throughout the country, with his work being profiled by 3 News and Stuff. He’s painted on almost every type of inner city suburban and rural wall imaginable, but this is the first time he’s painted an entire building – on a beach – from top to toe.

ABOUT LYALL BAY SURF CLUB
Lyall Bay Surf Life Saving club was formed 15 August 1910. The Club has been providing voluntary lifeguard patrols at Lyall Bay for 104 years and was one of the first clubs to start patrolling New Zealand's beaches. It has a large membership of junior (7-13 years) and senior members (14 years +). The Club also offers competitive training squads for fitness.

ENDS

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