A colourful display of Rotary in action

In 2020, the Rotary Club of Browns Bay, Auckland, NZ, launched its Mural Project following a proposal by member Murray Allison in conjunction with Long Bay College’s art department.

A design competition sponsored by the club tasked students with producing a mural of a local scene, and four submissions were received in February 2021. The judges chose Imogen Tyson-Lambert’s design as the overall winner.

The original idea was to have college students paint a mural on the wall of a building in Phoenix Plaza, with building owner Cyril Moore an enthusiastic supporter.

However, in the following months, it became clear there were issues with painting directly onto the wall. So, it was decided that the mural would be painted on eight large plywood panels fitted in a steel frame, which would be mounted on the wall. The plywood panels were delivered to Long Bay College to make it easier for the students to complete the artwork.

Then COVID struck, significantly slowing progress at the college, and in late 2021 the project received another setback. The building in Phoenix Plaza was sold, and the new owner indicated that the wall might be demolished within the next few years.

The hunt was on for a new location in Browns Bay. Fortunately, one was identified at New World Supermarket on Inverness Road.

However, the plan to mount the plywood panels on the wall proved not viable. So Plan C was developed with Speedy Signs, whereby the mural was digitally printed on a lightweight aluminium composite panel mounted on the wall. The concept was approved by Foodstuffs, the building owner, and supported by New World Browns Bay. Financial support from Rotary and sponsorship by several Browns Bay businesses (whose logos appear alongside the mural) ensured that project costs were fully underwritten.

The result is a spectacular 8.6 x 1.2m display of Rotary in action at a busy community location. Public image at its best!

And the plywood panels will not go to waste! Long Bay College’s art department will continue painting the original mural on the panels, which will ultimately be mounted at the college.