Making An Entrance

If you haven’t been out of town lately you may not have seen the latest additions to the western entrance to our city.  These powerful artworks have created a dramatic statement about who we are as a people and the welcome we are extending to our guests and returning family and friends.

Three major state highways lead  into Rotorua and each offers a very different approach to the city.  From this month, State Highway 5  at Tarukenga boasts an impressive group of artworks.  These have been designed by three local artists who were commissioned to create works that welcomed visitors  and locals while telling a story about the land and local Iwi.

 

Lead artist Lewis Gardiner, carver Robert Shuster Rika and sculptor Jamie Pickernell were supported by Rotorua District Council’s Landscape Architect Joby Barham and Arts Officer Kiri Jarden.

 

The inward journey begins  adjacent to the Tarukenga Marae where there are two carvings by Robert Schuster Rika representing ancestors Ngati Tura and Ngati Ngakau.  These stand at the palisades followed by a series of pou by Lewis Gardiner, extending to the Tarukenga rest stop where a large cast aluminum statute by Lewis takes pride of place.  This striking piece was inspired by the Maori proverb – As man disappears from sight, the land remains.

Supporting this is an interpretation panel created by Jamie Pickernell offering a welcome from Te Arawa and from Ngati Tura and Te Ngakau. The artists’ message is to remind people of our connection to the land and that we have a responsibility to care for our environment now and into the future.

Please take the time to stop when you are next passing  and enjoy these latest additions to the rich cultural and artistic heritage of the place that we call home.