Complaints from Heretaunga’s Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church about community street art on a nearby Chorus broadband cabinet have led to its being repainted.
The Chorus Cabinet Art project is a partnership between Chorus, local councils and artists which allows local artists to decorate the broadband cabinets that are being installed nationwide.
Sixteen cabinets in Upper Hutt were painted in the new year, including the one outside Our Lady of Grace on the corner of Fergusson Dr and Palmer Cr.
Local artist Karin McCombe-Jones says she has been has been left “disappointed and devastated” by the strident reaction of church representatives to her image of a young boy in glasses playing with balls.
The Parish chairman Des Boyle confirms he pushed for the removal of a painting seen as “inappropriate”.
“Of course, art is in the eye of the beholder and the young lady (Ms McCombe Jones) is probably a superb artist,” Mr Boyle says.
“We had quite a bit of feedback about this, both good and bad, but while we had no real objection with (the project) the design was seen as inappropriate.”
The view of parishioners was the painting did not represent a “happy and exalted” young person, as the church was told was intended and it could even be viewed as the opposite, Mr Boyle says.
“It didn’t convey happiness at all. So there was a bit of to-ing and fro-ing about it (with the city council) and finally they referred it to Chorus who were very good about it.”
Chorus community relations adviser Jo Seddon says the content of their paintings has not been an issue anywhere before.
Source
- Stuff.co.nz
- Image Stuff.co.nz