Cambridge creative cabinets
Chorus started its cabinet art programme in 2010 in a bid to prevent vandalism of its telecoms cabinets. While the otherwise drab, blank metal units provided the perfect canvas for taggers, the company found that would-be taggers were far less likely to graffiti over top of a fellow artist’s hard work.
Artist Amanda Herbert, has been beautifying numerous Chorus telecoms cabinets in the Waipa District, completing five murals in May.
First to be completed was her work on a Pope Terrace cabinet, not far from an intersection and a main road in Leamington. Herbert designed the piece, called ‘Rowers Ready,’ to celebrate rowing.
She incorporated the Keep New Zealand Beautiful (KNZB) charitable trust logo on the side, to recognise the partnership between it and Chorus. Chorus engaged KNZB about a year ago, due to the popularity and magnitude of the programme, and KNZB’s shared goal to eradicate vandalism.
Next to be adorned with a mural was a cabinet on Grey Street, close to Cambridge Middle School. ‘Birds of a Feather’ was created to be a fun and quirky piece of art for kids in the area.
Herbert decided on another quirky design, to go on a cabinet at the Corner of Queen and Albert Streets.
She says: “I found this cabinet looking graffiti covered and with black mould on it.
“I had fun painting it! This is an older box in Cambridge and I wanted to show in humour how far we have come with telephones and the internet.”
On Bath Street, Herbert decided to adorn a cabinet with a butterfly mural due to her love of nature.
Lastly, Herbert completed ‘Jigsaw’ on the corner of Queen and Grey Streets. She says: “This cabinet has quite a bit of foot traffic walking past, so I had a lot of looks from the public. The resident whose house it was outside was glad that it finally had a clean-up and make over.”
Herbert remains committed to cabinet mural work and hopes to do more in both the Waipa District, and Hamilton in the future.