Wanted: Chorus cabinet designs

Local artists are invited to create and apply their own original designs to one of 11 Chorus cabinets in the city.

The Invercargill City Council is working with the Chorus Cabinet Art Programme to provide the telecommunications cabinets. The cabinets become works of street art in the street, often telling stories about the local communities. The designs also help to discourage tagging.

Everyone is welcome to submit a design. The artists will be get instructions on how to prepare the cabinet and graffiti-guard it once the painting is completed. Payment will be made once the work is satisfactorily completed.

Interested? Before 31 July 2016, supply an A4 hand sketch of the design, a short description of what the design means and a note about any relevant experience. Chorus will decide which art works are chosen and it is envisaged the work will be completed as soon as weather permits.

The addresses for the cabinets:

  • 2 Matai Street
  • Corner of Conon and Ettrick Streets
  • 41 Lindisfarne Street
  • 1 Anglem Street
  • 1 A Lithgow Street
  • 813 Tweed Street
  • 41 Selwyn Street
  • 127 Janet Street
  • 40 Jenkin Street
  • 113 Dipton Street
  • 133 Bain Street

Images of the finished art will be included on the Chorus website and cabinets completed by mid-September will be considered for the 2017 Chorus Cabinet Art calendar, copies of which are sent around the world.

Background

The first cabinet art programme took place it in 2014, was repeated in 2015 and now 11 more cabinets have been secured for 2016. The cabinets were chosen because of many tagging incidents.

Chorus will pay $1000 for each cabinet, which includes the design, painting and application of graffiti guard. The graffiti guard is supplied and materials such as paint and brushes are paid for on top of the fee but there is no payment for travel or accommodation. They payment for smaller cabinets is $400.

Hinges, the cabinet ID label and small viewing slots cannot be painted over. Usually only the front and sides of the cabinet are included in the design. Artists are allowed to sign the work and include a website address but obvious advertising cannot be included.