Hairy Maclary and his pack of pooches will have to continue to bide their time in the Creative Tauranga Community Gallery until after Christmas as another funding deadline passes by.
Yesterday was Creative Tauranga's latest hope of starting work on installing the $800,000 waterfront showpiece, only for lack of funds to yet again curtail proceedings.
The public get up close with the bronze cast Hairy Maclary statues. Photo: Bruce Barnard.
The project is a storybook scene of permanent bronze sculptures featuring Hairy Maclary and some of his famous friends – Scarface Claw, Slinky Malinki, Hercules Morse, Muffin McLay, Bottomley Potts, Schnitzel von Krumm, Bitzer Maloney and Zachary Quack.
Fundraising for this unique project has been underway for the last four years, however it is still in need of more funding. Turf was expected to be turned on August 10 before being pushed out to November 3.
Creative Tauranga chief executive Tracey Rudduck-Gudsell says the project still has a shortfall of $70,000 before any installation work can begin.
Recently there have been a flutter of donations, including an individual gift of $10,000, but every dollar counts towards the final push, says Tracey.
She says: 'The enthusiasm is growing and everyone is anxious to get it finished. If everyone in the city gave a dollar we would be done by now.
'It won't be this side of Christmas [installation] but we hope to raise the money before Christmas and then start in the New Year.”
It will take up to four-weeks to install the sculptures.
Tracey says it would have been pleasing to have the bronze cast statues gifted to Tauranga City before the festive period – particularly in the heart of summer and the annual cruise ship season.
She adds: 'Particularly for summer when all the cruise ship passengers coming into the city are coming to see the sculptures in the gallery [Creative Tauranga Community Gallery] because they have heard about it and are looking forward to it.
'We need to get the puppies out to play, that would just be grand.”
Donations can be made on the dedicated website here.
26 comments
Why is
Posted on 04-11-2014 12:48 | By BullShtAlert
Just wondering why the public haven't got behind this project? Do they really want it? Is it seen as too expensive? Are the public a bit wary of "art" because of the huge annual grants to the Art Gallery and Creative Tga? Are they put off by other seemingly unfinished projects like the mosaics on the footpath? Come on Tauranga, if you really want it, prove it by paying up.
Hairy and friends
Posted on 04-11-2014 13:53 | By jeancraven@kinect.co.nz
When so much money is spend on unnecessary projects, it is so disappointing that this wonderful project has been deferred yet again and is not on The Strand bringing visitors and tourists to central Tauranga. Priorities!
a fan of hairy, but..
Posted on 04-11-2014 14:03 | By wesley mclay
I'm a great fan of hairy and the gang and i love reading the books to my kids. I love the idea of displaying bronze statues of these famous nz characters for all to appreciate but i just don't understand the rather large cost involved for this project. the only thing I'm going to be thinking about when the statues are finally installed will be how much it cost! Can the public get a breakdown of the costs since the public is paying for it so graciously .
Open
Posted on 04-11-2014 14:36 | By Accountable
This organisation could do more for its self by opening every weekend to accommodate visitors such as the cruise ship passengers and local tourist.Thirty three cruise ships were scheduled to visit Tauranga this season on a Saturday and Sunday and Creative Tauranga is Closed. Maybe if they were open it would encourage more people to visit the CBD on any weekend or is that asking just a little bit to much.
I may be wrong
Posted on 04-11-2014 14:46 | By tibs
I may be wrong, but isn't this another one of those projects that was to be done with no local population or ratepayer contribution? Creative Tauranga was on to it! There have been a few now and maybe people are a little fatigued by all these promises that never seem to succeed.
@ Devon
Posted on 04-11-2014 15:46 | By Annalist
Yes it would be good to see Creative Tauranga open weekends BUT only if us ratepayers didn't have to cough up even more. Maybe they could sell arty stuff to tourists and that would pay for the cost. Of course a good start would be to see all shops open, which they don't. While it would be nice I can't see tourists placing these statues on their must see lists but you never know.
Why?
Posted on 04-11-2014 16:12 | By Theway
Am I missing something here? Why are the general public supposed to cough up for these statues to promote the sale of more books? Surely the author Dame Lynley Dodd should be contributing to this, bet she has got this amount of money in the ash tray in her car! She must be laughing all the way to the bank.
@ Annalist
Posted on 04-11-2014 16:19 | By YOGI BEAR
Agree on that, sadly coughing up anything is a problem, the whole TCC councilors of past years have been suckered into paying and just cant seem to stop them sucking endlessly.
Paws N M'Pocket
Posted on 04-11-2014 16:49 | By Phailed1
It might have been a good idea to ensure the funds would be available before starting the project. Perhaps the arts world is different to those who struggle to make a living and live to a strict budget? I hope the ratepayer, who already is up for the maintenance, isn't called upon again to bridge the gap. I might have to come up with a new character, Paws N M'Pocket, if that happens.
Whackey idea
Posted on 04-11-2014 16:58 | By davidt5
There are 2 problems here. 1 The cost of the statues is excessive. 2 Few people see any merit in having these statues along the waterfront. The few people supporting this wacky idea are dreamers who are not prepared to put their money where there mouths are. Most of the rate payers are not interested in paying for silly way out dreams.
Let's do the maths
Posted on 04-11-2014 17:14 | By BullShtAlert
84 cruise ships coming to Tauranga this season. Tracey says something like all the cruise ship passengers are coming into the gallery to see the sculptures. Clearly ALL the passengers won't come to see them but let's say 84 times 300 passengers do and donate even $3 each, then Creative Tauranga will have the money to finish the project. The puppies really will be unleashed.
puppies ?
Posted on 04-11-2014 19:10 | By ow
I agree- let the puppies out to play !
Hold on a minute...
Posted on 05-11-2014 08:43 | By Politically Incorrect
It will cost $800,000 to move these statues from 'inside' to 'outside'?! Not buy them, just move them. Does anyone at that place check the quotes they are given, or is it jobs for the boys? Someone should investigate whether the contractors have any relationships to the staff of Creative Tauranga, sounds a lot like fraud to me! Spend the money on a couple of houses instead, help some families instead of waste, waste, waste.
@ davidt5
Posted on 05-11-2014 09:13 | By YOGI BEAR
And that is why they do it, the less support the more the desire to do it regardless of the cost.
some of the comments are unfair
Posted on 06-11-2014 11:20 | By Annalist
The total cost I believe is about $800,000 and that includes the statues and installing them. I believe the council will be responsible for their maintenance. The project is the responsibility of Creative Tauranga though and maybe they could use their own money to finish it because I'm old-fashioned enough to believe you take responsibility for what you start. To me the public haven't really got behind the thing. A pity but people have many calls on their money (let alone paying rates and taxes which have also gone into it I think?).
Unfair comments?
Posted on 07-11-2014 08:36 | By YOGI BEAR
Not sure in what direction you mean Annalist? I can only think of the logical direction here is that Creative Tauranga have been off on their own tangent, their own agenda and the public views don't matter a lot. The level of public interest and support has been consistent from the beginning, if anything the support publically has waned some. Especially when Council dropped the amount of funds needed and so the bills will fall on ratepayers. That is not good at all.
Yes Yogi, the council is a soft touch
Posted on 07-11-2014 10:28 | By Annalist
I think council shouldn't have dropped the amount needed (I guess for maintenance into the future). But I believe council pays creative tga a yearly dollop of money and the money to finish the project could come from that.
Yes Annalist
Posted on 10-11-2014 10:28 | By YOGI BEAR
Yes TCC does pay Creative Tauranga, they are indeed "creative" to get it to. Nothing of use or benefit to the wider community comes out of there, or at least is yet to. The amount I heard that is squandered by Creative is about $280,000 per annum, it is a very large amount.
Any Actaul Findraising Happened?
Posted on 13-11-2014 17:15 | By carpedeum
Has any one actually done any fundraising at all - sausage sizzles,cake stalls, etc etc for this project or are they just saying donate, donate ,donate??? I like to assist people who are assisting themselves in ANY community project they may undertake.
Carpedeum
Posted on 14-11-2014 08:26 | By YOGI BEAR
yes of course, they keep going back to Council to beg for more money, to drop the amount needed and anything else that can be scored for free ... gratis
Mug ratepayers
Posted on 17-11-2014 10:10 | By YOGI BEAR
Without choice keep getting the bills for this, one way or another hidden when and where every possible so no one knows what is happening.
full marks CT!
Posted on 20-11-2014 13:05 | By flamingo
I have seen so much support and hype around these sculptures - its clear the community do want them here - its just one of those projects that takes a huge effort so my full applause to Creative Tauranga for their efforts. I think they are a fabulous organisation that delivers way more than a lot of you even know or give them credit for. The ignorance of some of the comments made is astounding.
@ Flamingo
Posted on 22-11-2014 14:29 | By YOGI BEAR
That does not add up? If it were so then the money would have been there very quickly, in fact years ago. Add to that also that there would have been no need of bludging of ratepayers for money and to dump all ongoing costs also, like repairs, insurance and maintenance etc.
Sydney Exhibition
Posted on 29-11-2014 16:16 | By Mackka
Lynley Dodd is featuring in a huge exhibition - focusing on 'Hairy' and his mates in the National library in Sydney. Lynley is given little recognition here in Tauranga - but the exhibition in Sydney is on a huge scale with one whole wing of the library selling all kinds of memorabilia, the animals sketches are all over the walls and there are interactive displays for the children. Tens of thousands of dollars have been spent in advertising and setting up the exhibition. Her success has been given high praise outside NZ - she was there in person the day following our visit to the library. Well done Lynley. A pity we can't can't find the money to display the characters on the Strand. Perhaps the Sydney library may like to sponsor this ??
Art
Posted on 30-11-2014 11:58 | By Raewyn
I too have seen the exhibition in the Library In Sydney. Why cant our Art Gallery put on the display and help raise funds for the positioning of these little fellows,they get a big grant from Council! It is a great exhibition ,it would be nice to see our own artist get more support!
Lack of public support disappointing
Posted on 01-12-2014 10:46 | By Annalist
You can usually judge the value the public place on something by the way they get behind it. Take away the big grants from government, and trusts like TECT and the donations of the public must be very small. If the public want these they need to put their hands in their own pockets and donate now.
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