Katikati, in the Western Bay of Plenty, is hosting its eighth Festival of Arts and New Zealand Mural Competition during the month of October 2021.
The town, half an hour north of Tauranga, is famous for being New Zealand’s Mural Town, home to outdoor murals and sculptures depicting the town’s history, as well as being the Avocado Capital of New Zealand.
The Arts Festival theme ‘Lighting up the Town’ includes light installations, art exhibitions, arts trails, film festivals and matinees, concerts, performances, dance, paint & wine nights, workshops and more. Local organisations including the Katikati Theatre Group, Floral Art Group, Katikati Folk Club and the Katikati Art Group are involved in organising events during the month. “We invite everyone to visit our lively little community during October to enjoy an art experience designed to thrill, inspire and to light up your month,” says host organisation Katikati Open Air Art President Steve Graveson. “Our diverse range of events ensure there’s something for everyone. Make sure to mark the date in your calendar.”
An integral element of the Katikati Festival of Arts is the New Zealand Mural Contest, the eighth contest since 2006. In 2021 the contest will celebrate and acknowledge community individuals who gave outstanding service to those isolated and in need during the ‘unprecedented’ times of 2020.
The community has been invited to nominate their unsung heroes of 2021 and the chosen heroes will have their portraits painted as part of the New Zealand Mural Contest and placed together to form one large mural to be installed in the town as a reminder of this challenging time in modern history.
Artists wanting to enter the New Zealand Mural Contest with a prize pool of $11k can submit their entry online at Katikati Open Air Art’s website.
Festival organiser Jacqui Knight thanks sponsors and funders, including the Lion Foundation, Western Bay of Plenty District Council and TECT for their support of the event.
The Katikati Festival of Arts event calendar and information can be found online here.
