oOh! celebrates local spirit with new art project for Kiwi schoolkids

oOh!media has launched a new art project in schools around New Zealand, giving Kiwi kids the opportunity to have their artwork displayed in their local community, across oOh!’s street furniture network.

Kicking off now, the ‘Art in the hood’ initiative will see children from 28 primary and intermediate schools across Auckland, Hamilton, Rotorua, Napier, Wellington and Christchurch create pieces of art reflecting something intriguing, fun, or unique about the neighbourhood they live in.

Once all entries have been submitted, celebrity judges from the art world along with oOh!s local executive team plus representatives from Auckland Transport will select four pieces from each school. These winning pieces will be displayed on street furniture in close proximity to their schools for their whole community to enjoy. Judging artists include Karl Maughan, Heather Straka, Liam Barr, John Walsh, and Sara Hughes.

Along the way, there will also be certificates, art pack spot prizes and the chance for the 10 best entries nationwide to be displayed on premium oOh! sites on Lambton Quay in Wellington. One final piece will then be chosen, with the lucky winner receiving a shopping voucher worth $200.

In a pilot collaboration on a shelter, students from Shirley Intermediate in Christchurch have seen their hard work pay off with their decorated shelter being unveiled this week. The students came up with the theme of ‘movement’ and created some stunning artworks for their community to enjoy, with specialist company Big Colour Imaging producing and installing the panorama graphics.

Teacher Margaret Dwan said the project was fun for the students: “They really enjoyed creating their artworks and are so excited to see their designs make an impact on the street for everyone to enjoy.”

Nick Vile, oOh! New Zealand’s General Manager, said ‘Art in the hood’ was an important project to help revive community spirit after a challenging year.

“At a time of much uncertainty, this will give the kids a fun project with a real-world outcome. We expect they’ll get a real sense of pride in their creations, and the pieces that make it onto the bus shelters can then be seen by parents, friends, and families.

“Out of Home is a great medium for community initiatives, and this project follows our recent work with the Urban Art Foundation and the Wallace Art Awards, which also brought something extra and artistic to our public spaces.”

The winning works of art will be selected in mid-November and be displayed on selected oOh! street furniture sites coinciding with the last few weeks of the school year.

All submitted artwork from the project is available here: https://www.oohmedianz.com/art-the-hood/