At a meeting last week, members of the Wānaka-Upper Clutha Community Board were briefed on plans for the installation of a large sculpture crafted by the late Paul Dibble, donated to the Lakes District Arts Trust earlier this year.
Queenstown Lakes District Council arts and events relationship manager Jan Maxwell said the council had been working with the trust on securing a suitable location for the sculpture of a sitting woman, referred to as ‘‘The Dibble’’.
While a report prepared for the meeting had suggested a specific site near the Wānaka Watersports Facility, Ms Maxwell informed the board a slight change had resulted in the preferred location shifting a few metres westward on to the other side of Stoney Creek.
Board member John Wellington said he was concerned the backdrop of the lake from the chosen location would be more obscured by trees than the original site.
Ms Maxwell said there was still some work to be done on the new site including planting and landscaping before any installation was complete.
Board chairman Simon Telfer said he was supportive of the shift, as its placement next to a "well-trafficked pathway" leading to ‘‘that Wānaka tree’’ would increase the number of people who would see the artwork.
"I don’t think people are going to necessarily crowd around it but I do feel that it will maybe cause a reaction or a sense of enjoyment from possibly a greater number of individuals."
The board voted to pre-approve the new location.
"It’s going to be a feature down there", Mr Telfer said.
No timeframe for the installation of the sculpture was given.
The Lakes District Arts Trust was set up by the council two decades ago with a mandate to provide the district with public artworks.
The trust will retain full ownership of the sculpture once installed and any costs associated with the proposed installation will be covered by the trust.
Mr Dibble, who died in December last year, was known for his large-scale, cast bronze sculptures, including the New Zealand War Memorial in London.
The identity of the sculpture’s donor has not been disclosed.
