Posted on the 6 September 2016

Hastings Icons journey through the city

Celebrating the wealth of Hastings stories has led to a collaborative public art project in Hastings' CBD.

Stencil artist Adrian Thornton has worked with writer Jess Soutar Barron on the project that weaves together portraits and biographies. Works will begin appearing on blank walls in the city through the spring.

Hastings Icons is a series of street art portraits of famous, infamous, quirky and intriguing characters from Hastings' history. Each portrait has a QR code that links to a biography held online, so the public can view the image on the street while reading the accompanying bio on their mobile phone.

Jess Soutar Barron says the idea is for people to discover the works - and the icons they celebrate -  as they walk through the city.

"We are excited to tell these stories to Hastings' locals, they're icons we can all be proud of, some are well known already, others are a little more mysterious and obscure. They are all stories that have fascinated both Adrian and I, so we hope others will enjoy them too," says Jess.

The first series of portraits will be based on walls from the clock tower through the east side of Heretaunga Street. It includes images of Dick Frizzell, John Scott and Rita Angus, who was born in Hastings, as well as a full size apple tree to represent the iconic apple industry, an important part of Hastings' economy, history and story. Subsequent series of Hastings Icons will be posted on walls to the west of the city centre.

The project is supported by Arts Inc Heretaunga and the Hastings District Council.