Opportunity to be part of time capsule

The Vault: Tauranga Art Gallery's time capsule mural project. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

The vault, a small downstairs gallery space at Tauranga Art Gallery with concrete walls, will soon undergo an exciting renovation and the Gallery is calling on local groups to be part of the project.

"We are calling for proposals from groups interested in installing mural works on the walls of the Vault," explains the Gallery's public programmes co-ordinator Hannah Wilson.

"These artworks will be exhibited to the public before they are sealed in behind the new wall lining only to be revealed next time the lining is removed," she says.

Hannah explains that the initiative has been conceived with the priorities of connecting people with art, and creating a sense of belonging and ownership of Tauranga's cultural institution, in mind.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for creative community groups with members of all ages and abilities to express the positive role that art plays in the fabric of Tauranga Moana today and in their own lives," she says.

Built in 1964, the room served as the vault for the Tauranga branch of the Bank of New Zealand, before the whole building was renovated to become Tauranga Art Gallery, which opened to the public in 2007.

"As exhibitions are now regularly installed in the space, a more permeable wall surface is needed. Lining the walls with MDF will mean they can be easily nailed and drilled into, increasing options for exhibitions and helping to mitigate the strange acoustics of the room," Hannah says.

The opportunity to participate is open to groups of six members or more, based in Tauranga or the Western Bay of Plenty. This may include Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary education groups as well as other creative groups in the community.

The Gallery welcomes proposals for mural works that will serve as a time capsule. They should contain reference to life in Tauranga and/or the Western Bay in 2015, and what art means to your group. Content must be appropriate for all audiences.

"Murals must be painted directly on to the walls of the Vault, but may contain pre-made paper collage components of no more than 2mm thickness, that have been constructed off-site, and can be pasted or glued to the wall. Installation will take place between July 27 and August 21," Hannah says.

Proposals must be submitted by email before 5pm on Thursday, July 2. The Gallery's creative team will consider proposals and make a selection of four groups. Each selected group will be allocated a section of the Vault and given a maximum time of five days to complete their mural inside the Vault.

The murals will be exhibited to the public between August 22 and September 27. They will then be sealed under the new wall lining. For more details and guidelines for writing a mural proposal, please email hannah.w@artgallery.org.nz.