Pupils help design and paint Pekapekarau School mural

At the completion of the mural students presented artist Joe McMenamin with a kowhai tree, acknowledging the school has a pathway lined with kowhai trees that bring many tui to the environment. Photo / Supplied

Pekapekarau School is celebrating not one, but two new murals which greet visitors to the school.

Deputy principal Kylie McKay says an idea was formed to create a mural along the school driveway, and another in the office foyer, which would symbolise the school’s place within the environment.

With support from Creative Communities, planning began and an artist was engaged.

Kylie, and principal Tania Bagley, had seen the work of Waikato-born, Feilding-based artist Joe McMenamin.

They also knew Joe was previously a school teacher and would be able to work with the students.

Pekapekarau students were involved in the design process and challenged to put forward ideas that would encompass the school story.

In collaboration with Joe, the ideas were formulated into a design.

A big focus of the project was for Joe to be able to share the workload with students and teach them art skills and processes.

“It is important for us to show children opportunities for the future,” says Kylie.

“Working alongside someone who is an artist for a living was a valuable experience.”

The school also wanted a unique entrance.

Pekapekarau School entrance mural by artist Joe McMenamin and students. Photo / Dean Taylor

Joe also used some of the ideas to create a mural for the office foyer, which he completed himself.

The murals feature animals, birds, mountains and rivers associated with the area. The pekapeka (bats) have feature roles.

Tuna (eel) and hokioi (Haast’s eagle) also feature - tuna because of the local streams and the hokioi because of the link to the early Māori printing press of the district which students had been learning about.

Detail of Pekapekarau School foyer mural by Joe McMenamin. Photo / Dean Taylor

Detail of Pekapekarau School foyer mural by Joe McMenamin. Photo / Dean Taylor

Tania says the school will consider other murals in the future to keep telling the story of Pekapekarau School.