Opotiki murals come to Te Papa

Vibrant murals painted by the young people of Opotiki are being featured at Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa.
 
The exhibition marks a high point in a project started in 2007 by Opotiki's Youth Aid Officer, Constable Ian Dodds.
 
The idea was to instill a sense of civic pride in the town's young people and let them show the community what they can do, says Ian.
 
The result (so far) is 15 murals covering more than 570 square metres - the equivalent of 10,000 pieces of A4 paper.
 
Around 250 children and young people have taken part in the project. Graffiti reports have plummeted and once-cynical business people are lining up to have their buildings painted.
 
For the exhibition at Te Papa museum in Wellington, 12 murals were photographed and reproduced on boards. They will be displayed in the museum's Discovery Centres until the end of the year.