Federated Farmers: Mr G murals highlight rural HeART

Mr G has made his mark on the Farmland's co-operative store in Putaruru.

On an occasion captured in Putaruru's biggest selfie, hundreds of locals turned up last month to check out a mural by Mr G on the outside of the town's Farmland's Co-operative store.

Kiwi artist Graham Hoete, known as Mr G, last year made international headlines with his massive murals of Prince, in the singer's hometown of Chanhassen, Minnesota, and Kiwi NBA superstar Steven Adams, in downtown Oklahoma City.

Mr G's art has made headlines around the world.

With the aim of bringing the rural community together through art, Farmlands commissioned him to carry out HeART of the Community, which involves painting murals inspired by local history on the walls of 15 of the co-operative's 82 stores up and down the country. Paeroa was first.

The mural included Clydesdale horses, an echo of the 1800s when up to 400 horses and carts a day would go through Paeroa, transporting goods all around the North Island.
The mural on the Invercargill Farmlands store was a tribute to motorcycling legend Burt Munro, aka The World's Fastest Indian.

And now Putaruru, with a mural that captures a forestry scene and the piercing eyes of a ruru/owl. The photo on our cover page shows Mr G talking to local farmer and Farmlands shareholder Alex Graham.

"To the Putaruru locals, much love man," Mr G told the local newspaper. "I have been feeling the love all week except for the weather which was really challenging."

Three stores down ... 12 to go.