Public Art Fund
The council's Public Art Fund is delivered annually to support the delivery of innovative and exciting public art in Whanganui.
Castlecliff court mural by Mike Marsh with support from Progress Castlecliff and Fleet Line Markers, 2023. Image courtesy Whanganui Chronicle
How do I Relate with Nature, by Ivan Vostinar at the Bason Botanic Gardens, 2022
Rangiora Bus Shelter By Claire Bell, 2019
Love our Sealife by Jack Marsden-Mayer for Department of Conservation, 2020
Whanganui Walls
Mural by Elliot Frances Stewart for Whanganui Walls, 2019
To view an online map of the council’s public art collection and learn more about each work, visit the Coastal Arts Trail website here.
Applications dates
The next round of the Public Art Fund will open from April to May 2025 for projects that take place between June 2025 and June 2026. Specific funding dates will be confirmed by the end of 2024.
Eligible projects could include, but are not limited to:
- Works such as sculpture, street-art, pou whenua, sound art, light sculpture, land art, murals, digital art, moving image and installation.
- Artists contributing to urban design developments (such as parks, streets, bridges, buildings and street furniture).
- Temporary public art activities and events, such as performance artworks, time-based sculpture, projections, paste-ups, media arts, and movable works.
- Artists working with communities in public spaces.
Application process
Crafting your project
When project planning, we recommend reading the Public Art Fund 2024 guidelines(PDF, 3MB) before booking a time to discuss your idea with the creative community advisor.
The Public Art Fund Guidelines contain important information such as assessment criteria and details to consider in your application.
As part of the application process, the creative community advisor will provide advice on what you will need to consider as part of your application and project plan, how to best present your ideas on paper and what supporting material you will require.
Please note: The Public Art Fund requires match-funding at least equal to the amount requested from the fund. This means additional in-kind or financial support from community stakeholders or sponsors is an application requirement. This support may cover the material, fabrication, or installation costs.
Applications are assessed by the Public Art Steering Group to ensure they meet criteria and reflect the desired outcomes of the Public Art Fund 2024 Guidelines(PDF, 3MB) and Arts and Culture Strategic Plan 2019-2029.
Submitting your application
You can choose one of two methods to submit your application form.
Email
Complete an application form and email it to the creative community advisor.
Post
Complete an application form and post it to
Attn: Creative community advisor
Whanganui District Council
PO Box 637
Whanganui 4541
Please ensure all required support material is enclosed with your application.