The initiative received $6850 from Whanganui District Council’s Public Arts Fund earlier this year, and Castlecliff artist Mike Marsh has been brought in to oversee the painting.
Marsh will work with the winner of the contest to refine the final design before he leads volunteers in applying the design to the court over a week.
The winner will receive a basketball with their name printed on it.
People can pick up an entry form from Castlecliff Camp Store and Takeaways, Four Square Castlecliff, The Citadel Cafe, Whanganui District Employment Training Trust or Castlecliff Library.
The design can only use white, black, blue, green, red and yellow colours.
People can drop their entries into the red mailbox outside the Castlecliff Library at 10 Rangiora St before Sunday, August 28. Alternatively, they can scan and email their forms to progress@castlecliff.nz.
Barron said he would not give the judges any criteria on what they should look for.
“What I’m going to give them is the drawings and the bare bones on who did it, [whether they’re] at a school, and [whether] they live in Castlecliff, so it’ll be genuinely on the design.
“As for what they’ll be looking for, I don’t know.”
For him, the ideal design would be something bold and colourful which also said something about Whanganui and Castlecliff.
Power Up the Park was started after Barron’s friend helped Castlecliff residents Abraham Momoisea and Eden Waitai jumpstart their car, which they had been using to light up the park on a winter’s night.
The pair, who are now kaitiaki for the park, presented a submission to the district council’s Annual Plan, asking for lights to be installed at the skatepark to improve safety and attract more users.
Local co-operative Ngā Ringaringa Waewae had been consulting with members of the community on what to do next in the domain once the court had been painted.
“It’s an exercise in looking to people and asking, ‘What could this look like?’” Barron said.
He wanted the installation of lights in the park and on the courts to go ahead, with the potential to also install a Wi-Fi network across the park, provide access to electricity for visiting vendors, and install security cameras along with more plantings and signage in the future.
He hoped the council would fund the installation of the lights, while local businesses could be contacted to sponsor further upgrades.
“The one I’ve actually done [sponsorship for] before was for a skate comp and it was really last-minute, but businesses were really trying their best to be helpful,” he said.
Community members can have their say on Castlecliff at annual meetings on Sunday for the Surf Life Saving Club at 11am and Progress Castlecliff at noon.
Finn Williams is a multimedia journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle. He joined the Chronicle in early 2022 and regularly covers stories about business, events and emergencies. He also enjoys writing opinion columns on whatever interests him.
