Katikati - Mural Town

Katikati has almost 70 murals scattered around the town, all depicting scenes from local history. It started in 1990 when an idea was born, inspired by the Chemainus Murals in British Columbia . In 1991, the Katikati Open-Air Art Inc. was formed and the first four murals were under way. 

You can pick up a booklet from the Katikati i-site that will tell you where all the murals can be found, and it gives you some information about each of them as well. 

In 1897, the local Anglican Vicar farmed ostriches to supplement his income. Their frequent escapes were the inspiration for this mural. (This is the left half of the mural.)

A colourful piano sat on the main street.

Dave and Lucy found some rock solid locals to interact with.

This interesting sculpture (looking like a pristine egg in a steampunk cradle) was outside the museum. It's the winner of the sculpture competition in 2017 based on the theme: "The Future is Our Children". Every two years, Katikati Open Air Art host the NZ Mural & Art Festival. Since 2006, this week-long event has celebrated the arts and, in particular, the murals of Katikati.

Another mural. This one was in a narrow alley and not so easy to photograph. Titled "Toy Parade", it illustrates toys from the time of the Irish settlers in 1875. All the murals are numbered in order of their creation which makes it easy to find their description on the booklet. This one was "37", although the number three looked more like a crooked question mark!

A peaceful spot not too far from the busy main street.

While staying in Katikati, we spent time with friends (from when we lived in Taranaki about 20 years ago), enjoying a meal together at the Talisman Hotel one night. It was popular place!

More murals . . .

I really like the way some of the murals have something in front of the wall that fits in with the mural scene. For example, the old farm equipment you can see in this photo. And in the very first photo above, the bunches of grass planted in front of the wall to mimic the grass painted in the foreground of the mural.

Another peaceful spot right in the main street of Katikati.

This mural was one of our favourites. Probably because when we first saw it, it tricked us into thinking there were people standing there looking at it. In fact, this entire mural—including the white frame edges—is one flat piece of board. Very well done. I've included a couple of close-ups that show more clearly the 3-D effect the artist has created.

I'll write a bit more about Katikati in my next blog.

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