Mosaic no flight of fancy
A new mosaic unveiled at Nelson Airport’s cafe area was brought to the space by three students on a mission to see a project through from start to almost finished.
Kelly Lyons, Charlotte Halsey and Alice Dowse are former students of Nelson Intermediate who started the mosaic last year and finally got to see the results after leaving for college.
Nelson Intermediate art teacher Fiona Sutherland said the project involved students creating literature-based public art and speaking to the ‘‘appropriate professionals’’ in the community to make it happen.
This prompted the girls to speak to Nelson Arts Council Lloyd Harwood for funding and Nelson Airport’s operational manager, James Middlewick.
The one metre square framed art is made up of poetry about Nelson written by the students and mosaic jigsaw pieces.
Sutherland said while the girls worked laboriously on weekends and lunchtimes to complete the work, the work was finished off earlier this year with grouting done by current students and technology teachers assembling the piece before it was framed.
The girls were pleased and very proud to get their artwork in the airport, she said.
‘‘They’re happy to get it all finished and completed.’’