The South Dunedin Street Art Trail team of Rachel Elder, Claire Rye and Hayden Raw have been hard at work for the past year to bring the Ebb & Flow festival to fruition.
Ms Elder said the team was thrilled that the festival was about to begin, with eight local and national artists each taking on a wall in South Dunedin.
"We have been working hard to make the festival happen, and now we are seeing a huge dream for South Dunedin come to fruition, literally in front of our eyes," she said.
Local artists Guy Howard-Smith, Aroha Novak, Bruce Mahalski, Lara Hattingh, Claire Rye, Shane Walker, Koryu Aoshima will be joined by Gisborne artist Kelly Sunshine in creating murals on eight South Dunedin walls.
A ninth wall is being painted by 12 rangatahi from the Ebb & Flow Street Art holiday programme, run over the holidays by Claire Rye and local guest artists.
Ms Elder said the artists would "create bold artworks that reflect the past, present and future of South Dunedin".
"The murals will celebrate the people, land and stories that make our community unique.
"We are excited about the colour and vibrancy these top street artists will bring to South D and are inviting people to watch them as they work," she said.
Artist Guy Howard Smith is already working on the first art work, painting the wall of the Stevenson and Williams building at 64 Prince Albert Rd. He will be there for the next two weeks.
Ms Elder said one of the most wonderful things about the Ebb & Flow Street Art Festival was the support from South Dunedin landlords and business owners, who had not only offered walls for painting, but had also helped to sponsor the artworks.
These had included Cargill Enterprises, Justin Stott Positive Properties Limited, Brocklebanks, Nevelle Hall Nanking Investments, Gerard Mullins and Stevenson and Williams.
"Creating these giant murals is not cheap — they cost up to about $15,000 each, so funding support is vital," she said.
The funding received from Dunedin City Council for the holiday programme, a $29,000 grant from the Otago Community Trust, and donations to a recent Boosted fundraising campaign, had all helped immensely, she said.
Ms Elder said the design of the murals was a collaborative process between the wall owners and the artists, and some interesting themes would be explored. These would range from a ocean scene on a surf club wall to celebrating workers and exploring the family history of a local firm.
"We can’t wait to see them all taking shape," she said.
Ms Elder said the growing number of street art murals in South Dunedin was a wonderful way to ensure as many people as possible had the opportunity to enjoy top quality art.
"There are about 15,000 traffic movements per day along King Edward St alone, and the occupants of every one of those vehicles are able to enjoy some fantastic art," she said.
"And it’s a very special way to enhance our streetscapes in the area."
The Ebb & Flow Street Art Festival will run through February and March, and information on where the artists are working will be posted on social media. The public will be welcome to visit and watch the work.
