Call goes out to young street artists

Whangarei graffiti artist Rodrigo Rozas, left, pictured here with fellow graffiti artist Rob Allen, will help judge the Northland District Health Board's youth graffiti art competition. Photo / John Stone

Aspiring young Northland graffiti artists have a chance to get their name noticed, thanks to a new competition.

The Northland District Health Board is hosting a graffiti art contest with the goal of raising awareness about the organisation's social media page, dedicated to sexual health.

Entries are now open and aspiring Northland artists, aged between 16 to 25, are urged to enter their draft designs on a piece of A4 paper before noon on Friday.

Whangarei graffiti artist Rodrigo Rozas will help select eight finalists, who will spray their designs on to wooden boards stationed at the Cafler Park Rose Gardens on Saturday.

Once the eight panels are completed, the public will vote on the NDHB's sexual health Facebook page - Common Room - for an overall winner, who wins a Samsung S5 mobile phone. Voters also have the chance of winning a $50 voucher from clothing shop Red Rat.

NDHB sexual health promoter Bronwyn Morunga said the aim of the competition was to raise awareness about the page - a space where youth could access sexual health information - as well as to show how youth with talent in graffiti art could take part in events and have their skills recognised.

"Graffiti art is often associated with damage to property and this is one way of changing that," she said.

The event is sponsored by Inferno, and supported by the Whangarei Youth Space and the Whangarei District Council. The Mai FM crew will also be along on the day with giveaways.

Northland DHB will use the winning art piece for promotions and the remaining seven finalist art pieces will be offered to youth organisations for display.

Entry forms can be found at Inferno or Whangarei Youth Space and these must be in by noon Friday. For more information, go to the Common Room Facebook page.