Tarras Dogs Meet with Sheep

This mural was created by five creative students from the Tarras Primary School as part of the Cromwell Youth Art Project.

Central Otago art educator, Maxine Williams, guided a group of creative young people through a series of weekly workshops. Students studied the history of street art, practised painting and worked on producing large format artworks. The final phase of the workshops focused on developing a concept and designing a mural that represented the thoughts, feelings and interests of the participants, and how they viewed Central Otago. Following this, students and the public were invited to paint their designs at 'Across the Bridge' in Bannockburn 2018.

One of the Tarras students suggested they include a New Zealand flag in their school's mural. It was agreed a huntaway dog should carry the flag in its mouth while a border collie could stand beside it - representing two great sheep dog breeds used in high country farming. Central Otago's golden hills, rabbits, a hawk circling in the sky and a big yellow sun were chosen by students to exemplify rural life. These icons, combined with a distinct sense of patriotism, was the inspiration behind the Tarras students' mural.