Mural signed, sealed, delivered

A mural project transforming a once graffiti-prone alleyway into a vibrant “tapestry” of community and culture has had its final touches completed.

Led by artist Mieke Davies and supported by Paul Johnson and the Marlborough Youth Trust, the “Leaders of tomorrow? Leaders of today!” mural in the alleyway between Parker and Nelson Sts has been a long but rewarding journey, involving the contributions of hundreds of local people.

“It’s the longest duration of a mural I’ve ever worked on,” says Mieke, who began measuring out the mural’s letters as part of Youth Week 2023.

“But that’s because so many groups were involved, each contributing their own messages, imagery, and cultural expressions.

“It’s a bit of a tapestry of the last two years of artistic volunteering efforts.”

Between the mural’s overall message, the over 100m mural features intricate artwork and messages from Marlburians sharing their ideas of leadership.

However, a late expansion to include the other side of the wall allowed for a more multicultural lens with quotes and imagery in various languages.

Schools, immigrant families, Pasifika youth groups, and home-schooled students were among those who left their mark.

“We weren’t quite sure if we’d be able to use the other side to start with, so the mural was first designed just for the one side, but we were allowed to expand and invited people to share leadership quotes in their own languages too”, says Mieke.

“There was something for everyone to do because some kids just wanted to paint, others wrote poems or shared cultural patterns – we welcomed all.”