Tour of Palmerston North street art beneficial for soul and feet

Mel Xmas's mural of Mr Berryman delivering berries was part of a street art tour of Palmerston North's central education quarter last week. Photo / Judith Lacy

We're a diverse bunch ranging from a woman who'd moved to Palmy that day, to a well-known lawyer who is a long-time resident. But we're all keen to learn more about Palmerston North's street art.

I've joined 10 others on a free street art tour of the city, organised by the Central Economic Development Agency.

Our guide is Keegan Aplin-Thane, a planner at Palmerston North City Council.

We start with the Unbox, currently in The Square as part the summer city ambassador programme, and finish with the bike stand outside English Teaching College.

Our second stop was Ghost Tower, also in The Square. Keegan said the light bounces off the micro surfaces and reflects in different ways. The bottom part of Louise Purvis' sculpture is inspired by a traditional homestead and the top influenced by the nearby T & G clocktower, Keegan said.

Insane51's portrait of Askew One on the Main St side of Downtown, done during Street Prints Papaioea last year, drew exclamations from two Palmy residents who hadn't seen it before.

"Never seen it, I go to the movies all the time," one woman said.

Askew One is street artist Elliot O'Donnell, who was born in Palmerston North and lived in Awapuni before moving to Auckland when he was 9, Keegan said.

Berrymans Lane is perhaps the home of Palmy street art. Keegan told us the lane is a key entranceway to Broadway Ave and work has been done to make it more attractive and safer at night. These improvements have opened up more opportunities for businesses in the city's premier retail strip.

Each section of The Square-side wall on the Main St end of Berrymans Lane, starting with Mel Xmas' nod to the lane, was deliberately allocated to a newbie, then a veteran, then a newbie and so on to facilitate knowledge transfer and real work experience for newer artists, Keegan said.

Among the paintings at the other part of Berrymans Lane, closer to Broadway, is an ode to blues musician Bullfrog Rata. The frog playing a banjo was painted by Ashhurst-born artist Carl Roberts.

Paul Dibble's sculpture The Nectar Eaters, outside UCOL in Princess St, includes a flax pounder - flax was once a thriving industry in Foxton. The huia perched on top is a nod to the sad fact the last sighting of a huia was nearby, in 1907 in the Tararua Ranges.

Australian street artist Helen Proctor's mural on the main UCOL building in Queen St was inspired by Te Apiti. She had to work around a light fitting on the wall and at least one passerby has commented when the mural is lit up at night it looks like someone is camping, Keegan says.

The education quarter tour also took in the unnamed by incredibly popular - before and after school - lane between Queen and Grey streets.

As well as the education quarter, the tours cover Little Cuba, the Arts Quarter and
Te Marae o Hine.

There is a tour on February 17 at 5.30pm, book at www.eventbrite.co.nz.