This is the first year Chorus is working with Waitomo District Council to bring its cabinet art programme to the district and is calling for designs from local artists.

Four cabinets, two each in Waitomo Caves and Te Kuiti, have been chosen for beautification and artists are encouraged to get their designs in before the deadline of 31 August.

Chorus Community Relations Manager Jo Seddon says that it makes sense to partner with local councils, as they know their communities best.

“It is great to work with local councils when it comes to choosing cabinets and designs,” she said.

“Waitomo District Council has nominated four cabinets and we’re really looking forward to seeing what local artists come up with.”

These cabinets become works of art, often telling stories about the communities in which they are located, and help to discourage tagging.

Mayor John Robertson says he has been keen to get Waitomo involved for some time and is really pleased this has finally eventuated. 

“We know how vibrant art work makes our towns and being able to get local artists involved where they can showcase their work can only be positive for our district.”  

Community Development manager Sarah McElroy will be co-ordinating the initiative and says it is a great opportunity for local artists to design artwork representative of the communities they are proud of.

“This is a fantastic initiative that not only highlights the amazing artistic talent we have in the Waitomo District, but also provides a platform for promotion of local art and district beautification,” she says.

Requests for designs are now open and the winning design for each cabinet will be chosen from entries received.

Information can be found on Chorus’ dedicated webpage: https://www.chorus.co.nz/community/cabinet-art-programme

All finished art will be included on the Chorus website and will be considered for the 2023 Chorus Cabinet Art calendar, copies of which are sent around the world.

Existing murals can be seen here:

https://www.chorus.co.nz/blog/cabinet-art-gallery/

Background:

In 2010 Chorus began a trial in Auckland to test if art works on the cabinets decreased the frequency of tagging.

This proved successful so the programme has been extended to include art works throughout the country.

The main criteria for considering a cabinet as a candidate for art work is the frequency of tagging, as the mural becomes cost effective through eliminating cleaning costs. However other avenues are also considered, such as community or council requests and involvement.