Sculptures chosen to adorn memorial trail

Rotorua Lakes Council community arts adviser Marc Spijkerbosch with the winning sculpture The White Mouse. Photo / Supplied

Four sculptures from the city's recent sculpture symposium have been added to the Rotorua Lakes Council's permanent public art collection.

The Sulphur Lake Sculpture Symposium was held over two weeks late last year at the Rotorua Arts Village, with 17 sculptors participating, including a guest artist from Russia.

The theme was The Returning Soldier and the sculptures now form the evolving Sulphur Lake Sculpture Trail in the Government Gardens as part of the council's commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings in April of 1915.

Judges selected nationally recognised sculptor Anna Korver's piece The White Mouse, depicting New Zealand war hero Nancy Wake, as the winning artwork for which she received $10,000. The prize was funded by the council's "Per cent for Art Policy", which contributes 1 per cent of annual capital expenditure for enhancing city infrastructure, including the commissioning and acquisition of public artworks. It will now become a permanent part of the council's public art collection.

The council's community arts adviser Marc Spijkerbosch said community feedback on the sculpture trail had been phenomenal. "It's a wonderful new asset to the city and in such an appropriate and tranquil location ..."

Mr Spijkerbosch said the council was also given first option to purchase a second piece, and selected Rory McDougall's The Ghost Soldier. The sculpture cost $8800. "The Ghost Soldier was clearly the 'people's choice' and perhaps the most poignant and fitting addition to permanently adorn our World War I memorial trail."

The Rotorua [Electricity Charitable] Trust has purchased two more sculptures for the city - Forever Remembered and Tank Trap - by local artists Paul Bottomley and Jamie Pickernell to add to the trail.

"Council receives a 20 per cent commission on all sales during the two-year exhibition," Mr Spijkerbosch said.

An information brochure is available on site at the trail, the Rotorua Arts Village, the Rotorua Museum, and at www.creativerotorua.org.nz.