Cracked Ink mural to adorn library building

Hakeke Street Community Centre and Library, a blank canvas waiting for a mural. Photo / Paul Brooks

Hakeke Street Community Centre and Library is putting on some paint.
Centre co-ordinator, Lorraine Sheenagh, says the work to be done is a mural, designed and executed by Si Ormerod, who paints under the name Cracked Ink.
"It's going to look so amazing," says Lorraine. "We got ideas from the community: people who use the Community Centre as well as our volunteers, the kids next door, the kids across the road at the YMCA / Pakohe [Alternative Education Programme]. They all came up with ideas about what community looks like.

"A lot of people still don't know about us, so Jane [Bilderbeck – centre manager] put in a submission to Creative Communities about wanting to do a mural and we were lucky enough to get a grant."
A woman at Creative Communities put them in touch with Si.
Si won't be alone: a number of young locals will be there to lend a hand and learn about art.
"It's going to be collaborative in that way as well," says Lorraine. Resene is supplying paint.

The mural will include depictions of various learning techniques, including books and children being taught by their elders. Lorraine says the intergenerational aspect is very important.
"Just being able to take the ideas we had and turn it into something cohesive like this is really amazing."

Lorraine says the public is welcome to come and witness the transformation of the walls.
The grant covers the painting of just a fraction of the wall facing Hakeke St. Si is donating the rest – time, talent and paint.
"We're also getting a deck built out on the front, with all the timber being donated by Eastown Timber, and Ag Challenge students are coming to build it for us," says Lorraine.
That will happen after the mural is finished. The deck will have in-built seats and places for small memorial plaques, with a community garden around the outside.
"It's going to be a place where people can hang out."

The plan includes a lockable cupboard to store sports equipment donated by Sport Whanganui, so people can enjoy Williams Domain across the road.
"That's what's happening," says Lorraine. "It's making us more visible and the space more useable for a whole lot more people."

Hakeke Street Community Centre and Library is doing many things to make itself known.
"We're running a Spanish class now; we're starting yoga and meditation; we'll be running a free community art class … and three different people are using the centre for their La Fiesta events.
"The word is getting out there."

Hakeke St Community Centre and Library, housed in buildings built for the railways and formerly used by UCOL, is opposite Williams Domain in Whanganui East.