Public art in downtown Tauranga will soon have a new exciting addition following the selection of an artwork and artist by a locally formed art trust.

"We are delighted to announce that our curatorial advisors have selected an artist to deliver the first artwork in the Font Tauranga public art collection," says a Font Public Art Trust spokesperson.

Peata Larkin — Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Tūwharetoa — says she was “overwhelmed” to be awarded the Red Square commission.

“We have friends and whānau that live in Tauranga, so we visit often," says Peata.

"When I was young, we made heaps of day trips over as Rotorua is not that far away from here.

"It is an honour to be chosen to create an artwork that celebrates Toi Māori and Tauranga’s natural and historical attributes. I am hoping that it will entice people to walk/run/ride through it, to congregate within and around it, and to contemplate what it means to them and others.”

Peata’s design, which will be revealed in full when the work is installed ahead of Matariki 2024, acknowledges Tauranga Moana’s place as a safe anchorage.

Peata Larkin was born in Rotorua in 1973. A graduate of the Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland, 2004, she completed her master’s degree at RMIT University, Melbourne, in 2007.

In 2018, Peata was awarded the prestigious Kaipara Wallace Arts Trust Award, which provides a three-month residency at the Altes Spital in Solothurn, Switzerland.

Her work is part of important collections both in New Zealand and internationally, including the Memphis Museum of Fine Arts in the USA.

Previous public art commissions include the ANZ tower lightbox in 2013, the New Zealand International Conference Centre spine wall from 2016 ‘til present - this is due to be completed in 2025, Westfield shopping centre in Newmarket in 2018 and the Park Hyatt paint/lightbox panels in the Auckland Viaduct in 2018/19.

Peata recently made the transition to outdoor sculptures and has been selected to be a part of the Boon Sculpture trail in Kirikiriroa, Hamilton in February 2024.

Font’s independent curatorial advisory panel has three members - Karl Chitham, Julie Paama-Pengally, and Serena Bentley.

“Peata Larkin’s proposal will be a landmark work for the city centre," says the panel.

"It responds sensitively to the local environment while making an impact and reflects the culturally rich histories and whakapapa of the site. We think this will be one of those works that locals will love and visitors will seek out.” 

Co-chair Vanessa Hamm says Font owes its start to enthusiastic support from Tauranga City Council and TECT, which had agreed to fund the first artwork with a grant of $150,000 each.

The $300,000 project budget covers all costs from consent to construction, including materials, manufacture, and artist's fee.

Commissioner Anne Tolley says she expected public funding of the first artwork would prove the value of the Font concept, and encouraged private businesses to step forward with support for subsequent artworks.

“We’re proud to be supporting this first commission and are looking forward to seeing this and future artwork led by Font adding vibrancy to the city centre over the coming years," says Anne.

TECT Chair Bill Holland says working together with TCC and Font for this art installation is exciting as it links to the city centre revitalisation.

"Incorporating a significant art installation in the city centre will add more vibrancy to what is planned to be a captivating space for locals and visitors," says Bill.

“The hapū is excited at the prospect of a modern public art installation that captures the dynamism and diversity of the Tauranga community, while being rooted in its deeper histories and environmental relationships," says Font’s Ngāi Tamarāwaho trustee Ngairo Eruera.

Vanessa says Font has audacious plans to create a collection of several artworks for placement throughout the city centre, creating a drawcard for Tauranga and enriching the experience of living in our seaside city.

“Our intention is that these artworks not only become iconic landmarks of Tauranga Moana, but that they help nourish creative spirit in our arts community and inspire a love of all things creative in younger generations," says Vanessa.