Hillier Centre Revitalisation
We were commissioned by the Hillier Centre in Arataki to engage a series of local artists to create bright vibrant works to grace the tired and worn out corridors and foyer.
The centre was old, bland, and in desperate need of some love and attention - what better way than to brighten it with colourful artwork.
The Hillier Centre is a non-profitable organisation/community centre that hosts various services to the community. For example - Family Works, whose services support people experiencing challenging or difficult times to help them make positive changes in their lives. Having some meaningful, warm, colourful and inspiring artwork to enjoy around the building would hopefully help them towards this and make them feel that this was a friendly and inviting place to be.
We understood this was a huge project so it was sectioned into two phases...
Phase 1 (2018)
The Incubator engaged artist Nik Williams who actively engaged with the community groups creating conversations about their kaupapa.
The art works were designed to reflect Whakataukī that echoes the values of the centre and stitches the imagery together to achieve 2 stunning and powerful murals .
The Centre and all community groups were thrilled with the final works and the positive energy they contribute to the spaces.
Photo: Ursula Keay
Phase 2 (2021)
To continue the great revitalisation project we engaged talented emerging Māori artist Louis Mikaere to develop a series of manu (birds) that represented the community meeting spaces within the centre.
Manager of the Hillier Centre Nicola Ssekajja says the artwork makes the building more warm, friendly and colourful. “It’s fabulous, we have a lot of kids come through and it just brings some lightness and some freshness, the vibrant colours are beautiful.”
Both of these projects were supported by the Creative Communities Scheme.
