22 Dec 2022Students at Manchester Street School in Feilding have completed their winning mural titled ‘Be Kind to Papatuanuku’ as part of this year’s Keep New Zealand Beautiful Resene Wall Worthy Competition. The primary school was one of ten winners in this year’s competition, which gives youth groups, schools and ECEs from across the country the opportunity to paint a mural with an environmental theme or message, to help beautify an area in their local community. The mural was designed by a small group of students at the school and depicts the actions students can take to care for their environment including having a litterless lunch box, planting trees, conserving water and creating less waste by reducing, reusing and recycling. Deputy Principal Leigh Cowan says, “These messages are very important as we strive to be effective kaitiaki, and these sustainable practices are some of the ways we are striving to be a more sustainable school.” The mural was painted onto four large panels over two terms by a team including a parent supported by her whanau and some senior students. It is now hanging outside the school’s staff room facing one of the playing courts, clearly visible to everyone including members of the public walking through the school grounds. As part of the Keep New Zealand Beautiful Resene Wall Worthy prize, the school received $750 in vouchers for Resene paints of their choosing, painting supplies and a $500 cash bonus for the school. About the Resene Nature Murals Competition The Resene Nature Murals Competition, which is part of the Paint New Zealand Beautiful programme, ran from April to June 2022. Community members were called on to submit mural designs, which include an environmental message, for a wall to paint in their local community. Artists from around the country sent in their designs, with the top ten murals selected based on their environmental message, enhancement of the community, and originality/creativity. Winners then have 12 months to bring their mural to life. Winning designs receive a $750 Resene paint voucher and other materials to paint their mural, receive a $1,000 grant upon completion Keep New Zealand Beautiful CEO, Heather Saunderson, says: “Our Resene Nature Murals Competition provides a great opportunity for artists to beautify their local communities. In its sixth year, this competition continues to grow in popularity and we’re always so impressed with the calibre of entries we receive that narrowing down the selection to just ten winners is getting harder and harder. We’re so excited to see these murals come to life, knowing how the beautification of public spaces greatly benefits communities by increasing civic pride and deterring vandalism and anti-social behaviour such as littering and graffiti.” The ten winning artists and regions are listed below, and their designs can be viewed here. Micaela van den Berg, Sunrise, Kaipara Brigita Botma, Harmony, Auckland Carol Green & Kim Littlejohn, Bringing Nature to the City, Auckland Corey Harbrow, Keep NZ Beautiful, Christchurch Danny Owen, Nature, Invercargill Leon Hohepa, Future Generations, Porirua Matt Russell, Resilience, Wellington Paranika Dudley Heeth, The Return of Nature, Auckland Shann Whitaker, The Interconnection of all Living Things, Mangawhai Vanessa Barclay, The World is in Our Hands, Cambridge Share this page
