Fin Dac, from Dublin, Ireland, painting his mural at the back of the Whangārei Police Station, on Hannah St, as part of the Street Prints Manaia festival. Photo / John Stone
Fin Dac, from Dublin, Ireland, painting his mural at the back of the Whangārei Police Station, on Hannah St, as part of the Street Prints Manaia festival. Photo / John Stone
will add to 15 other new murals being painted in the city as part of international street art festival Street Prints Manaia. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Whangārei is getting covered in colour with some spectacular murals being painted on the walls of buildings in the city, including the police station.
Artists from Northland, the rest of New Zealand and around the world are in the city for Street Prints Manaia, an international street art festival organised by Mount Maunganui-based charity Pushing Arts in New Zealand Trust (PAINT) and held in Whangārei for the first time.
The five-day event which features live mural painting, youth mentoring, free workshops, and an exhibition will put about 15 new murals on walls across the city.
The murals will join another painted in the city last week - a marvellous kukupa, or wood pigeon, on the wall of the building that contains Whakaora Kai Northland Food Rescue, Whare Bike, and two healthy food co-operatives in Wood St. The mural is funded by spacelamp, a new social enterprise based in Whangārei.
Amanda Valdes, from Miami, Florida, painting a mural on the back Of Bayleys on Hannah St. Photo / John Stone
The theme for the Street Prints Manaia festival is "Tuia te muka Tangata" which means "weaving the threads of humanity".
Creative director of the festival Jah Smith worked with Whangārei kaumatua Te Warihi Hetaraka, who is the uncle of his wife, Lovie, to find the right theme.
"His thoughts were to create an art event that joins all cultures and people and explores history but pushes forward to the future.
"With 10 international artists from around the world and 10 local Whangarei and Kiwi artists, the theme 'Tuia te muka Tangata', which means 'weaving the threads of humanity' fits perfectly. Whangārei is a multicultural hub with a vast and rich mix of communities," he said.
Swiftmantis, from Palmerston North, painting a mural on the back of the Movie Theatre building on John St. Photo John Stone
Artists attending the event include Bryce Williams, Earnest Bradley, Melinda Butt and Mike Tupaea, who are all local, along with New Zealand artist Askew One, 2Alas from Miami, Dourone from Belgium, Fin DAC from Ireland, and Paola Delfin from Mexico.
The first Street Prints event was Street Prints Mauao held in 2015 and 2017 at Mount Maunganui. This was followed by Street Prints Otautahi in Christchurch in 2017.
Smith said it was now Whangārei's turn.
"We were inspired by Whangārei's rich history, beautiful lands and seas, unifying the community and by Manaia. It is such a dominant Whangārei landmark, known as the first ancestor of the native people of Whangārei," he said.
This new kereru mural painted on the side of a building in Wood St, last week by artists Charles Williams and Janine. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Murals will be painted at 15 locations in Whangarei including Hannah St, Finlayson St, John St, Bank St, Butter Factory Lane, Walton St, James St, the Whangārei Police Station, and Dent St.
Visit www.facebook.com/streetprintsnz for more information.
