Taranaki gallery’s new mural paints the way to Rotokare Scenic Reserve

Eltham artist Dan Mills stands beside the half-completed mural on the side of the Eltham Village Gallery building. The mural is expected to be completed in the next few weeks.

Birds from Rotokare Scenic Reserve will be seen from the State Highway thanks to a new mural.

A new mural is being painted on the side of the Village Gallery building in Eltham. The Village Gallery is located on State Highway 3, with the mural visible as cars drive south through Eltham.

The Village Gallery treasurer Bill Davies says the committee applied for the South Taranaki District Creative Communities Scheme and received donations to fund the mural.

“Michaela Stoneman, who is the arts co-ordinator at the council, has been instrumental in getting this process up and running. She’s been a big help.”

He says last year, the Village Gallery was repainted.

“We had a mural there originally but it was quite old. The building was given a fresh coat of paint, and our landlord liked the idea of painting a new mural on the side.”

He says Eltham artist Dan Mills was commissioned to create and paint the piece.

“It looks pretty impressive. When we saw the design brief, we were all amazed. We hope the mural encourages people to visit Rotokare.”

Dan has experience painting large-scale murals, having previously created murals for the Hāwera RSA building and the rail bridge south of Hāwera. He says wildlife from Rotokare Scenic Reserve made for perfect subjects to incorporate into the artwork.

“That wall used to have a sign saying where Rotokare was, so it was important to keep that element. Also, Rotokare is a treasured place in the Taranaki region. My daughters and I regularly go there, and I’ve had fun creating a piece special to the town. All of the birds and shapes point to the direction of where Rotokare is.”

The mural is half-finished, with work expected to be complete in the next few weeks.

“It’s all dependent on the weather. We’ve had a few wet days where I haven’t been able to paint.”

Rotokare Scenic Reserve’s general manager says the Rotokare Scenic Reserve Trust is excited to see the finished result.

“We’re honoured to have been chosen for this mural. To have such a fantastic representation of Rotokare, painted in our local community, is very cool.”