Kaitaia artist Jen Gay is hoping the mosaic murals outside the old Pakn'Save site in Kaitaia can be saved.
Kaitaia artist Jen Gay is hoping the mosaic murals outside the old Pakn'Save site in Kaitaia can be saved.
A local artist is campaigning to save an almost 30-year-old community art project from being demolished as part of the new Kaitāia Town Square development.
Kaitāia artist Jen Gay has launched the Save the Mosaic Mural campaign as an appeal to the community to save the “community taonga” located outside the old Pak’nSave site on Commerce St.
Gay helped design and supervise the project in 1997, which she said involved around eight schools and 500 locals.
“The original project took six months to complete and has not been vandalised, nor has it faded in the 30 years since.”
After learning the mural would not be included in the new Kaitāia Town Square plans, Gay was seeking community feedback on whether the mural should stay due to its cultural significance to the area.
“The plans for the new town square have not incorporated the original mosaic, meaning it will now be demolished,” Gay said.
“Many of those involved in the original project hold an emotional investment in the mural, with some of the people who took part now [having] passed away.”
Gay is asking anyone wanting to save the mural to contact her by texting “yes” to (021) 0588 890.
She said she also planned to go down to the mural next Tuesday (April 18) at 2pm to meet with anyone wanting to get behind the campaign.
According to Andrea Panther, community feedback on the murals was they needed to be removed to allow more space for the town square and car parks.
Andrea Panther is the project lead for the Te Hiku o Te Hiku Open Spaces Revitalisation Project, which is behind the plans for the new town square.
Panther said prior to consultation, part of the concrete block walls decorated with the mosaic tiles would remain.
However, after community consultation, the view was to get rid of the block walls, which acted as a barrier to the town square and reduced car parking space.
“Jen Gay, who co-ordinated the mosaic tiles, is very passionate about this large piece of community art and asked if we could appeal one more time to the community to ensure that is what they want,” Panther said.
“The children who made the tiles are now adults in our community - there is connection and in some cases, emotion attached to each tile.
Around 500 tiles make up the two murals, which took around six months to create.
“If people want to retain the mosaic tiles, Jen has offered to carefully remove as many tiles as possible and either return them to those who made them or we can repurpose them in the garden spaces at our local parks.
“We need to find out what the community thinks.”
Panther said a large nine-metre stainless steel pipe waka with a Tōtara warrior sitting in the centre, designed by local Māori artist BJ Natanahira, would be the focal point of the new town square.
Anyone keen to send their thoughts about the mural can contact Panther at: andrea@hoskincivil.co.nz or comment on the Te Hiku Open Spaces Revitalisation Project Facebook page.
