Artist, Brigita Botma, has unveiled her award-winning mural titled, ‘Our Next Generation’, on the main road in Waiuku, Auckland.

Brigita was one of ten winners from across the country who took out the top prize in Keep New Zealand Beautiful’s Resene Nature Murals Competition 2021. This is the second year she has placed in the competition.

The mural, which is located on the side of the family support building on Queen Street, features a little girl climbing a tree to remove litter from the branches with the help of a kererū shown carrying a wrapper in its mouth.

"When designing this for the Resene Nature Murals competition, I was very fortunate to be offered a wall within the community that was perfect for the mural itself. Nestled in the corner of Waiuku's family support building, it reinforces a reminder of the importance in protecting our future generations through a strong message of a pollution-free future,' says Brigita.

The Resene Nature Murals Competition, which is part of the Paint New Zealand Beautiful programme, ran from April to June 2021, with artists encouraged to submit mural designs which included an environmental message. Artists from around the country sent in their designs, with the top ten murals selected based on their environmental message, enhancement of the community, and originality/creativity. Artists then have 12 months to bring their mural to life.

Winning designs receive a $1000 grant upon completion, along with a $750 Resene paint voucher and other materials to paint their mural.

Keep New Zealand Beautiful CEO, Heather Saunderson, said: "Our Nature Murals Competition is getting more popular every year. This is the fifth year we've run the competition in partnership with Resene, and once again we've been overwhelmed with not only the quantity, but the quality of the entries we've received. We know the benefits that beautification of public spaces can have on local communities, so we're always excited to see it when these murals come to life.”

The ten winning artists and regions are listed below, with their designs visible on the Keep New Zealand Beautiful website.

• Brigita Mana Botma, Our Next Generation, Auckland
• Corey Harbrow, Game Over, Christchurch
• Denise Fort, Let’s Grow Together, Raglan
• Deow Owen, The Journey of the Piwakawaka, Waianiwa
• Faye Chadburn, Circalunar Rhythm, Tauranga
• Jennifer Corbett, Feed Me, Taranaki
• Joel Nicholls, Water Water Every Where, Auckland
• Louie Zalk-Neale, Matairangi, Wellington
• Mark Noble, U R Nature, Rotorua
• Stanley Mans, Nourish Nature Naturally, Hastings

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