The Arrival 2020 Flox & TrustMe

In Association with Central Otago District Council and Teviot Valley Community Development Group.

One of the Teviot Valley’s defining characteristics has been an enduring amalgamation of different people and different cultures. It has always attracted and drawn people to it for a variety of reasons; Māori traversed the Pacific and used the Central Otago area as a travel route and seasonal food source. Miners came from Asia, Australia and Europe based on the speculative promise of gold. Settlers built a platform for the development of significant horticultural and agricultural industries. And more recently the fruit industry has been supported by a workforce who come from a range of countries including Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Malaysia.

Underpinning the mural is a creative response to the statement “We all came here from somewhere else and this is what shapes the Teviot now”.

Within this statement exists two key elements, People (we) and Place (here). The artists believe the relationship that exists between these two things is critical in terms of addressing cultural identity. They also believe that a primary role of murals is to acknowledge, celebrate and contribute to the identity of where they are created, in this case Roxburgh and the Teviot Valley. With a focus on People and Place, the artists drew together a collection of references that talk about the people of the Teviot and nature of the environment.

This project employed art as a transformational tool on a practical and social level. It has transformed the building and the wider streetscape that hosts it. And it contributes to the growing recognition of the role seasonal workers play within the Teviot community.

It is the artists hope that the mural helps foster greater cohesion between residents and seasonal workers through recognising the contribution of migrants and seasonal workers to the character of the Teviot Valley area (past, present and future). The artists also intend to celebrate the histories of the people of the valley, helping cultivate collective pride and a shared sense of belonging.