Chorus is working with Whakatāne District Council to extend its cabinet art programme in the district and is calling for designs from local artists.

Three cabinets, two in Whakatāne and one in Ohope, have been chosen for beautification and artists are encouraged to get their designs in.

The project, which sees some of their more frequently tagged cabinets painted in art works, has been very successful so Chorus has partnered with Whakatāne District Council to extend its reach further.

Chorus Community Relations Manager Jo Seddon says that it makes sense to partner with local councils, as they know their communities best. 

"Over the past few years we have worked with Keep NZ Beautiful and that also was a great fit. That partnership has now concluded so we extended an invitation to councils around the country to work with us on this great initiative," she said.

"We are really pleased that Whakatāne District Council has answered that call and we're really looking forward to seeing what local artists come up with."

These cabinets become works of art in the street, often telling stories about the communities in which they are located, and help to discourage tagging.

Council Reserves Planner Kayla Manson will be co-ordinating designs and artists and says it is a great opportunity for artists to showcase their talents to not only the local community but also the wider world.

"This is a win-win for our communities. Not only do we get fantastic art works in our streetscape, but also it provides work and promotion of our local artists," she said.

Requests for designs are now open and the winning design for each cabinet will be chosen from entries received.

Information can be found on Chorus' dedicated webpage.

All finished art will be included on the Chorus website and will be considered for the 2021 Chorus Cabinet Art calendar, copies of which are sent around the world.

Visit the Chorus website to see some examples of existing murals.