Budding artists, sculptors and photographers are being called upon to show their interest in entering Katikati Open-Air Art's 2015 New Zealand Mural & Arts Festival's competitions.

Katikati Open-Air Art Steve Graveson, with the Primal Aotearoa mural to be replaced with the 2015 Mural contest's winning masterpiece.

The biennial festival is from September 29 to October 4 and this year's mural contest winner will get a one-off prize of being commissioned to replace a deteriorated mural in the town.

KOAA chairperson Steve Graveson says 2015's festival theme is ‘The National Treasures of New Zealand – Nga Taonga O Aotearoa'.

'What got us going is one of the murals – Primal Aotearoa, which was painted at the festival in 1996 by Bodhi Vincent – is in bad need of repair or replacement.

'So we thought as an incentive – not only will contestants get to draw and enter their mural in the competition but the winning mural will also be painted to replace Primal Aotearoa on the side of the town's butchery building.”

Other prizes for the mural contest winner include $5000 cash, the June Carlton Memorial Trophy; and the chance to win people's choice award worth $1700.

Steve says because Primal Aotearoa was based on natural wonders of New Zealand it seemed logical to keep a similar theme – 'the natural treasures or taonga of Aotearoa”.

Artists can enter the mural contest by submitting an entry form, brief CV and preparation of a miniature replica of the mural they intend to paint during the festival under public watch.

'Contestants can interpret the theme any way they choose – natural taonga can be anything from insects to birds to animals to scenery such as coastlines to mountains – anything.”

'And it doesn't have to be locally themed – it can be whatever the artist's interpretation of natural treasure within New Zealand.”

The deadline for mural contest submissions is July 31, 2015, but Steve says early entries are preferable.

Entrants are whittled down to six artists, who compete by painting their murals during the festival week in locations around the township amid being watched by festival-goers.

Steve says the festival is a chance for artists to paint out of their comfort zones of private studios.

'You have to get used to being able to paint and talk to the community at the same time.

'For some it's quite a challenge and time management is also an important thing.”

Entries are also open for the Arts of The Lens photograph competition, offering $250, $150 and $50 for the first three placings respectively.

And sculptors should get their thinking caps on too. Entries to the Katikati Bird-Walk Sculpture Contest are also open with the theme ‘birds'.

The winning sculptor receives $3000 cash and their work featured permanently on the town's bird walk.

For entry forms to competitions, see the Katikati Open Air Art Facebook page.