Anyone putting their hand out for the best part of a quarter of a million dollars from a local council, better have a very good reason for it.
At the risk of stating the obvious, it is a large chunk of ratepayers' money and any council would be circumspect about making such
a sizeable grant and would want assurances as to the benefits from a project funded to this degree.
So it was not altogether surprising that Napier City Council has opted, for the time being, to not fund the projection art project proposed by Napier Inner City Marketing.
An estimated $263,000 was needed to fund a semi-permanent installation on the Hastings Street side of Waiapu Cathedral.
The city council, concerned it would become the primary source of funds for the project, has declined for now, suggesting Inner City Marketing seek private funding to kick-start the project.
Images and words beamed on to the side of buildings - a frivolous or visionary idea?
Well, it may not be roads and footpaths but it is encouraging that the city council has not completely kicked this project to touch for there is a lot to like about it.
Tourism's a crowded market and to set itself apart, a city has to have unique offerings. This project art idea dovetails neatly with Napier's image as New Zealand's Art Deco capital
Napier is, after all, famous for its built environment and here we have a plan to bring that environment to life after dark through the projection of images and words on to the walls of buildings.
One can imagine a pictorial history of the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake and rebuild of the city showing on the wall of a cathedral that itself was part of that history. And what about images of works by the Bay's artists and poets?
Done well, it would be an attraction for visitors and locals alike. Now to find a sponsor!
