Work has begun on a new addition to the South Dunedin Street Art Trail — a mural by artist Guy Howard-Smith, covering two walls of the Stevenson and Williams’ building near the intersection of Prince Albert Rd and Bellona St.
Trust volunteer Rachel Elder said there was "a lot of history in that piece".
Draft designs showed two of the three shop fronts painted in the likeness of their former occupants — a lawnmower shop and a butchers — while the third displays a seagull.
Facing Bellona St, the mural will feature a surfer with a scene of the street in the 1960s.
"We’ve worked really hard for this; we’re really excited now," Mrs Elder said.
The mural is one of eight featured in Ebb and Flow — a street art festival organised by the trust opening next month, featuring large-scale, live mural painting and street art workshops.
A relationship with owners of the soon-to-be-adorned walls was vital and Mrs Elder said the trust could not "believe how generous" those landlords were.
"People don’t go to art galleries, you know, they haven’t got time, or they feel a bit awkward because they’re not arty-farty.
"But street art is free for everyone to do and get a little buzz out of — it gives back."
"I suppose we want to say that South Dunedin’s the coolest place in town, because it’s vibrant, it’s colourful, and something’s happening all the time."
