Artists have been chosen to help shape the face of Tauranga's revamped waterfront.
Elliot Collins and Marcus McShane will provide public art for the redevelopment project which includes tidal stairs, pier and a pontoon. Collins will focus on incorporating artwork into the tidal stairs and McShane will look at how
to build artistic lighting into the pier.
Earlier this year, there was strong interest from artists to support the project with 40 registrations of interest received. An evaluation panel, including project team representatives, local art gallery director, Kate Darrow, and a member of the council's public art advisory panel, met and evaluated the submissions.
"The proposed public art commission, as an integral part of the Access to Water project, is a very exciting opportunity for Tauranga. It will add another layer to the enjoyment of the new space by providing engaging, contemporary public artwork for the city", Ms Darrow said.
Collins has a Master of Art and Design from AUT University and is currently working on his PhD. He is best known as a painter and has exhibited extensively throughout New Zealand in public and private galleries, including the City Gallery Wellington, Tauranga Art Gallery and the Christchurch Art Gallery. His work is included in many prestigious collections such as the Chartwell Collection and the Wallace Arts Trust. Elliot has undertaken several international artist residencies and received commissions for public art works from Headland Sculpture on the Gulf and the Auckland Waterfront.
McShane is a New Zealand artist and lighting designer. In 2016 he created a work for the New Zealand International Arts Festival, and in 2015 his works were installed in the NZ New Performance Festival at La MaMa in New York. He was also chosen to represent New Zealand at the Prague Quadrennial. Marcus designed Heat in 2009, a theatre piece lit by custom LEDs which toured its own wind and solar power system and became the world's first self-powered and emission-neutral piece of professional theatre. He has received five Chapman Tripp awards, including Chapman Tripp lighting designer of the year for 2011 and 2013.
If people would like more information, they can call the council on 07 577 7000, email richard.conning@tauranga.govt.nz or check out the construction activity via a regularly updated camera feed at www.tauranga.govt.nz/accesstowater.