Artists and creative collectives are being invited to help tell Levin’s story through a new public mural programme planned as part of the town centre’s wider transformation.
Horowhenua District Council has opened Expressions of Interest for the Levin Public Murals project, which will see a series of artworks commissioned across council-owned buildings and public spaces.
The initiative forms part of the Levin Town Centre Transformation and is intended to make the central area more distinctive, welcoming and reflective of the community.
Council says the murals will not be treated simply as decoration.
The aim is to create public art that responds to the character of Levin and gives artists the opportunity to interpret the town’s identity, history and future through contemporary work.
Mayor Bernie Wanden said public art could help create places people feel connected to and proud of.
“The Levin Town Centre Transformation is about creating a town centre that’s vibrant, welcoming and uniquely ours,” Wanden said.
“Public art has an important role to play in achieving that vision. It helps tell our stories, reflect who we are and helps create places that people are proud of and want to visit.”
Council wants both emerging and established artists
The opportunity is open to individual artists as well as artist collectives.
Council says it is looking for people capable of producing high-quality contemporary work that responds to place and contributes positively to Levin’s evolving identity.
Artists will not necessarily be selected on reputation alone.
Council says it will consider an applicant’s style, previous experience and how well their creative approach fits a particular location.
That means the project is also open to emerging artists who may have strong ideas and a clear connection to storytelling and public space, even if they do not yet have a long list of major commissions.
Applicants will be asked to provide information about their artistic background, examples of previous work and an explanation of how they approach creating public art that connects with both place and community.
More than just filling blank walls
Public murals have become an increasingly common way for towns and cities to bring neglected or ordinary spaces to life.
When they work well, they can do more than improve the appearance of a building.
They can create landmarks, strengthen local identity, attract visitors and encourage people to spend more time in town centres.
For Levin, the challenge will be to make sure the final works feel connected to the town rather than looking like artwork that could have been placed anywhere.
Council’s emphasis on storytelling and place suggests that local character will be an important part of the selection process.
That could include themes connected with Horowhenua’s people, environment, history, community life and changing identity.
Council has not prescribed a single artistic direction, which leaves room for a range of approaches.
That flexibility could be important in attracting artists with different styles and backgrounds.
Levin Public Murals project at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Project | Levin Public Murals |
| Organiser | Horowhenua District Council |
| Wider programme | Levin Town Centre Transformation |
| Who can apply | Individual artists and artist collectives |
| Experience level | Emerging and established artists |
| Locations | Council-owned buildings and public spaces |
| Selection focus | Style, experience, suitability and connection to place |
| Closing date | 5pm, Monday 7 September 2026 |
Public art can influence how a town feels
The council’s decision to include murals within the town centre transformation reflects a wider shift in how public spaces are planned.
Town centres are no longer judged only on roads, parking, footpaths and buildings.
How a place feels also matters.
Colour, public art, landscaping and street-level activity can influence whether people see a town centre as somewhere to pass through or somewhere to stop, spend time and return to.
For local businesses, that can also have an economic effect.
A more attractive and distinctive town centre can help bring more people into an area, encourage walking and create more opportunities for shops, cafés and other businesses.
That does not mean murals alone can transform a town centre.
But they can become one visible part of a broader effort to improve how a place looks and how people experience it.
Artists asked to think about community connection
The strongest part of the brief is its focus on work that reflects both place and community.
Public art can become contentious when communities feel it has little connection with the area where it is installed.
By asking applicants to explain how their work would respond to Levin, council is signalling that the final murals should have a reason for being there.
That also gives local and regional artists an opportunity to bring their own understanding of Horowhenua into the project.
The process may also encourage collaboration between artists and community groups once individual locations and concepts are developed.
Council says further decisions will be made around which artists are best suited to each site.
Applications close in September
Expressions of Interest close at 5pm on Monday, 7 September 2026.
Artists interested in taking part will need to submit details about their background, previous work and approach to public art.
The final murals will be placed across a range of council-owned sites as the wider Levin Town Centre Transformation progresses.
For Levin, the project is a chance to make the town centre more visually distinctive.
For artists, it is an opportunity to create work that will sit in public view and become part of the everyday life of the community.
If the project succeeds, the most effective murals will not simply make a wall more colourful.
They will help people recognise something of Levin in the work itself.
Source: Horowhenua District Council media release, 26 August 2026.