A new public art trust is launching in Tauranga next week with ambitions to install the first artwork this summer!

Launching on June 7, 2023, the Font Tauranga Public Art Trust is a group of locals committed to gifting a significant body of public art to Tauranga City Centre.

Together, they will raise money for commissioning artworks and deliver them to the city during the next decade from 2023-2033.

On board as trust co-chairs is Vanessa Hamm and Stephen Hahn. Stephen is a CBD business owner, while Vanessa is a partner in a large local law firm. 'We think that Tauranga could benefit from having some more significant works of public art in the CBD...to make it a more vibrant, attractive city centre and destination for people,” says Vanessa.

Public art fund

Tauranga City Council is developing a Public Art Framework that Stephen says will kick off July next year. This means there will be a fund people can apply to for creating public art in the future.

'That's kind of why we're kicking it off now, because we know that the council has a plan to revitalise the heart of the city centre over the next 10 years…it makes sense for us, mana whenua and other partners to weave some type of art through the CBD.”

Vanessa says: 'We'd love to have the first piece

[of art] in place in the coming summer”.

The duo believe formation of the trust is is an exciting step for Tauranga, because it will put us on the same playing field as other NZ cities.

'Christchurch, Wellington and Hamilton, for example, have public art trusts that have been established for quite some time and have been quite successful in delivering significant public works,” says Vanessa. 'There hasn't been anything like that locally.”

'We get to draw on examples of what we know has worked elsewhere,” says Stephen. 'Down in Dunedin they do some really interesting light projections over the harbour…so there's many different examples of what that public art might be. It doesn't have to be a traditional sculpture.”

Artistic shake-up

Stephen says that Tauranga is ready for this artistic shake-up. 'Tauranga is often seen as a laidback seaside town but we're kind of in a state of flux.”

Surveying BOP residents, Stephen says Creative New Zealand research shows: 'Six in 10 residents want [the Bay of Plenty] to be recognised as a place that supports the arts so we've clearly got the community support here”.

'As Kiwis we really like the arts and we think it's powerful, but we need better access to it. Public art is clearly an answer to that.” To get in touch with the trust, email: hello@font.nz