Whale Tales 2022 is an immersive arts sculpture trail that will be open to the public from 24th January to 18th April 2022 presented by WWF-New Zealand in partnership with Wild in Art and Auckland unlimited. It’s an ingenious collaborative event that merges art with environmental protection and public engagement. It brings together local artists, and businesses, community groups and schools to raise awareness and funds for the protection of the Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf.
80 New Zealand artists from all around the country were each given a large white whale tail sculpture to transform into 80 unique masterpieces. Each sculpture is sponsored by a business or community group. These will be placed around the Auckland Region, many within walking distance of each other, for the public to view and along the way learn about the threats facing the Brydes Whale and Hauraki Gulf marine environment. At the conclusion of the art trail period, the sculptures will be auctioned off and the funds placed with WWF NZ to establish several marine protection and education programs within the Hauraki Gulf.
The Brydes whale has been chosen as the flagship species for this event as it has a uniquely resident population of around 50 whales that call the Hauraki Gulf home. As a species at the top of the marine ecosystem, any adverse effects on the Brydes whale population are a great indicator of the wider ecosystem health.
Image: Brydes Whale Calf . Photo Credit and Copyright: Teo Lucas_Gigante Azul_WWF
So What’s the Fuss ? Why is the Tile Depot so excited about this event?
~ We All Should Care~
Every New Zealander should care about the health of our marine ecosystems. The vast majority of us live or holiday near it, use it for recreation, and a source for food. Without healthy oceans we have an unhealthy world. Our activities and actions on both land and sea have an impact upon the health of the marine environment, and thus we are all responsible for minimizing adverse effects and helping to restore damage.
At the Tile Depot, we know most of our staff family have strong connections to the ocean, both culturally, spiritually and physically. When the opportunity arose to become a sculpture sponsor for this event, we dove straight in.
~Walk The Talk~
In 2019 the Tile Depot formed a Green Team and a commitment to 'Walk the Talk' in terms of positive contributions we can make as a business to the environment and society. As a journey, we have really just begun, but it is a sincere commitment, and the Whale Tales event is definitely in keeping with this ethos.
~Celebrating NZ Art~
New Zealand is loaded with artistic talent, but compared to many parts of the world, we are a bit light on accessible public artworks. The Whale Tales event celebrates our home-grown creatives and makes their artworks available to the public, to view for free. It’s fair to say, at The Tile Depot we have a lot of creative people amongst our staff, who get great joy from the creation of beautiful spaces. Appreciation of artwork and being able to support art for a cause, was something we had a lot of in-house enthusiasm for.
~ Aaron Kereopa ~
We believe we got an amazing artist to sponsor, who himself has an incredible connection to the sea. He is a renowned surfboard artist, who repurposes and transforms old surfboards into incredible works of art. We are incredibly proud to be his sponsor and can’t wait to view his whale tail - ‘Sky Walkers’ – in situ once the trail opens in 2022.
Aaron Kereopa with brother Daniel. Collecting Whale Tail Scuplture from Tile Depot HQ
~ Great Outdoors~
The art trail is a great way to get people into the outdoors. We have become such a sedentary society, that any opportunity to get people outside and exploring new areas, is well worth supporting. Being outdoors is so good for physical and mental wellbeing, that the value of this art trail in this regard cannot be underestimated. It’s also an opportunity for Aucklanders, and visitors to the city, to explore the region.
~ Something For Auckland To Look Forward To ~
It’s fair to say that 2020-2021 has been a bit tough on NZ and particularly Aucklanders who have spent the longest times in lockdown. There have been many negative impacts for many people and a bit of Auckland's sparkle and vibrancy has been lost. The Whale Tales Art Trail will inject some colour and fun into a region craving it. It is asomething to look forward to and enjoy. It’s also an opportunity for families and individuals to challenge themselves to see as many sculptures as possible and learn about their big blue backyard.
~Education And Change~
We hope a wide population base engages with the event and learns more about the marine environment and the threats it is facing. Hopefully this in turns leads to changes in their personal lives and where possible, some contribution to the events fundraising efforts.
Image: Brydes Whale. Photo Credit K Hupman.
~ Benefits To The Hauraki Gulf ~
This event has the potential to raise significant funds for the protection and restoration of the Hauraki Gulf. It could be the start of many wonderful programs which lead to long-lasting benefits.
WWF Whale Tales 2022 is a fabulous, creative and inclusive event that celebrates art, culture, community, education and environment with tangible ecological benefit. It is definitely worth all the fuss.
To find our more go to: https://whaletales2022.org