Moa Mountain
 Moa Mountain is a sculpture especially designed for children to explore and play upon, and is the result of a community-based art project.
Located outside the new
Massey Library, it measures nine metres by six metres, and is up to one metre high.
The design for the moa was conceived by artist Kate Wells and the Council's Reserve Management Planner, Renee Lambert.
 Iona and Jasmine co-ordinated workshops with local primary and intermediate pupils to create the 1000 individual leaf and feather shaped tiles used to cover the moa. Over a period of eight weeks up to 350 children
participated in the project.  During
the first round of workshops they worked with clay to make the shapes for each
individual tile, and to create imprints in the clay of native plants.
The images of the moa and the native plants reflect the name of the site "Birdwood".
 Once
the tiles had been fired, Iona and Jasmine returned to the schools, so that the
children could decorate their individual tiles. For the moa's surface
Jasmine and Iona also gathered and composed natural objects such as insects and
plant life onto 30 feather-shaped outlines.
 These
were then coated with epoxy resin
in a specially designed mould. Along with the tiles these were inlaid into the surface creating a rich mosaic over the
moa's reclining shape.
"Moa Mountain" is a visually entertaining artwork that highlights the importance of the imagination in reading for children and provides opportunities for investigation, discovery and imaginative play.
For more information:
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