Arts drive to make city shine: Council

It's a good time to be an artist in Rotorua says the council's community arts adviser Marc Spijkerbosch. Photo / File

The Rotorua arts scene is alive and well and is only going to get better in the next few years, according to Rotorua District Council community arts adviser Marc Spijkerbosch.

"In the past two years the restructuring of the council and introduction of a new mayor, who is a strong supporter of the arts, has meant an amazing drive in the arts," he said.

"I'm really optimistic about the arts scene. In two or three years, Rotorua is really going to shine."

Public art, including a great mural in the city centre, had meant people were able to clearly see the difference the arts could make, he said.

The arts revitalisation has coincided with an increase in Creative New Zealand funding in the past two years.

For the year ending June 30, 2010, Rotorua received $226,801 in Creative New Zealand funding.

In the past two financial years funding has amounted to more than $100,000 a year.

Funding was still a challenge, though supporting visual and performance arts was becoming a council priority, Mr Spijkerbosch said.

"There's lots of things in the pipeline across the whole creative sector that have talented and passionate people behind them who are committed to making Rotorua a great place to live."

Sculptor Trevor Nathan said he had certainly noticed growth in the Rotorua art scene.

"Nationally, public art has really taken off in the last 10 years and now it's becoming big in Rotorua," he said.

One of Mr Nathan's sculptures, a large carved tui, was recently installed in the central city as part of the council's inner city revitalisation project.