Group outraged Te Papa giving free graffiti lesson

Media release

Newmarket Business Association

Sunday, 8 February 2009

Business group outraged Te Papa giving free graffiti lessons

Auckland's leading retail district says it is outrageous that the Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa, has this weekend hosted a "graffiti workshop".

"In September the Government released its STOP strategy designed to combat graffiti. Five months later we now have government sponsored Te Papa giving free lessons on how to 'learn to write in funky fonts.' It sends out all the wrong messages and shows very poor judgement from the national museum given it receives tens of millions of taxpayers dollars every year and supposedly represents New Zealand communities," says Cameron Brewer, head of the Newmarket Business Association.

Last year's government STOP (Stop Tagging Our Place) strategy included lifting the maximum fine for tagging from $200 to $2,000, banning the sale of spray cans to people under 18, and forcing retailers to keep spraycans out of reach from potential shoplifters.

"Last year central government got tougher on graffiti after a lot of public pressure. The pubic is absolutely sick and tired of tagging after going softly softly didn't work. We have all learnt that the only way to deal with graffiti is by adopting a zero-tolerance approach. That means getting tough on the taggers, painting out the tags as soon as they appear, and not glorifying graffiti as art. Te Papa needs to get up with the programme especially when you consider it calls itself 'Our Place'.

In its latest "What's New - February at Te Papa" brochure activity for Saturday 7 February includes "11am - 12noon Joseph Churchwood Graffiti Workshop. Join graphics master 'Dr Whom' and learn to write in funky fonts. Afterwards, designs will be pasted onto The Wall in 'Our Space'. All ages welcome. Meet at the Ilott Room, Level 4. Free entry."

Mr Brewer says he was gobsmacked when visited Te Papa yesterday and saw a poster in the entrance way promoting the graffiti workshop.

"Graffiti costs our country tens of millions of dollars and costs town centres like Newmarket tens of thousands evey year in graffiti eradication programmes. The taxpayer deserves a little from its national museum. Lets not forget that it was the taxpayer that spent $317 million to build Te Papa and contributes tens of millions annually to keep it afloat."

"Newmarket prides itself on being graffiti-free. We get upset when we see graffiti being promoted. It is a big slap in the face for every community up and down New Zealand. People should expect more from Te Papa given it claims to be such a positive representation of our country," says Cameron Brewer.

ENDS

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