Mural Masterpieces - Waiau School

Location:
Waiau School, North Canterbury – front wall, main classroom block facing the main entrance.

Team:
Roger Johnson, Al Dalmer, Danette Moriarty and 36 Waiau School pupils and parents.

Accessible to public:
Yes.

Mural theme:
What Waiau means to us.

The mural reflects the childrens' representation of what is important to them in the Waiau area. The colours and the placement of the mural represents the colours of the braided river. The existing block wall it is mounted on represents the river stones. The shape of the panels are water droplets and each picture represents something that is important to each child.

The Waiau township wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for the river which flows past the farmland and town.

Background to mural creation:
The mural was created because is allowed the students to expand and explore different media in art; students could be creative and express their thoughts about their home town. It has also covered up a grey, boring bland concrete wall and utilised the skills and enthusiasm of community members.

The mural has been a long time in the making, led by a future parent and his enthusiasm. The pupils spent quite a few weeks discussing and deciding on a theme. Then lots of planning and practising went into how it would look and what the children wanted to draw. Parents helped cut the boards and then many children got a lot of dust and paint over themselves as they sanded and painted the background on the boards. Finally the children very carefully painted the representation they had practised on to the board. This truly is a mural planned, practised and done by the students.

It now sits proudly on the main wall facing the front entrance to the school so it is the first impression that greets visitors to the school.