Faded and drab after three decades in Wakefield’s elements, the original artist of two murals on an Edward St building has restored them to their former glory.
Artist Rose Shepard, who created these artworks in 1991, returned from Dunedin last week after the Waimea South Historical Society requested her to give them a long overdue fresh lick of paint.
The murals sit on the side and front of the Wakefield Creatives building.
Rose, who moved south in early 2022, says Wakefield was a hushed place when she first painted them.
In 1991, she reckoned you could “stand in the middle of [Edward] St for two hours talking to someone and no one would go past”.
So, when she became a member of the community council with intentions to awaken the village, the pale blue and pink scenes she created reflected the then mostly empty buildings to remind the community of the area’s potential.
“All the buildings [in the painting] are all used now, and it has a really nice vibe now, and the whole way that this place has evolved is brilliant,” she says.
“Most of the families have grown up with that painting and it’s lovely to see the likes of the old library and the post office restored.”
The murals remained untouched for more than three decades, apart from the odd kid's fingers admiring the one on the building's front.
Weather left the colours washed out and the lettering on the mural on the side of the building almost unreadable.
The front mural had only minor age marks, but both needed attention.
With support from the Waimea South Historical Society, Resene and Tasman District Council, Rose zhuzhed them last week.
“[The community is] probably a bit shocked at how bright [the side mural is] now, but at the time, that's how bright it was,” she says.
“[The repainted murals] will keep the importance of these buildings and this feeling of a village strong within this community, be aware of what you have already and look after it.
“We've got something wonderful here, and there's not many places like this which have this feeling of connection.”
