Rochester Mural Festival Committee members John Atley, Kate Lee and Wayne Park in front of the Sting Like a Bee mural.
Photo by
Daniel Harvey
The next Rochester Mural Festival is well and truly into its planning stage, with the festival dates and theme now released.
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The committee has voted ‘the calm before the storm’ as the theme for the 2027 festival.
They chose from 10 to 15 submitted themes, not wanting the theme to be too specific or to restrict the artist.
“We try and get a theme that you can adapt almost anything to it,” Mr Park said.
“The choice of the theme is really important. It needs to be broad enough, so the artists can interpret it in many different ways.”
The committee is excited to see how artists interpret and bring this theme to life through their creativity and unique artistic styles.
Kerry and Dolly Nicholson’s Shadow Puppets from last year’s festival.
Photo by
Daniel Harvey
Mr Park said they hoped that visitors felt the community spirit of the event, and of the town.
“I’m hoping people come away thinking, ‘What a great little town this is,’ and that they’ll want to come back and encourage their friends to visit and see the artwork,” he said.
“It’s a great event for the region, bringing people to Rochester and showcasing everything the town has to offer.”
Mr Park said he, as always, was looking forward to seeing the new paintings.
“Also, interacting with the artist and the public who visit. That’s really important to us,” he said.
“Seeing so many people come along reinforces just how important our town is, and it's wonderful to see others appreciating it.”
The festival will begin on Saturday, March 13, with the popular Meet the Artists Dinner at Rochester Shire Hall, where participating artists will be introduced and unveil their mural concepts to the public.
Artists will begin work on Sunday, March 14, transforming walls across Rochester into vibrant works of art throughout the week.
All murals are scheduled to be completed by 5pm on Friday, March 19, before the festival concludes on Saturday, March 20 with the announcement of the winning artists and presentation of awards.
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