Eleanor Rarity16:38, May 16 2019
WuHoo Timaru co-founder Roselyn Fauth and her father Geoff Cloake, both Friends of the Aigantighe Art Gallery, are planning on expanding their South Canterbury history and art decoration project. They are pictured with Fauth's daughter Medinella Fauth, 4.
Stories and images reflecting the region's history may soon be on display in more parts of South Canterbury as a Timaru community group looks to expand its work.
WuHoo Timaru is considering adding up to 35 more sites to its installation project of reproductions of artworks from the Aigantighe Art Gallery's permanent collection now at five spots throughout Timaru.
In March, the five pilot signs were officially launched, dotted along Caroline Bay and Patiti Point. The signs show what the site looked like in the past or relates to the surroundings.
Spokesperson Roselyn Fauth said the community's feedback had been "surprisingly good", and she, along with father Geoff Cloake were now looking to venture further afield to Temuka, Pleasant Point, Geraldine, and the Mackenzie Country.
Medinella Fauth, 4, stands with one of the signs at Caroline Bay, which feature a piece of artwork from the Aigantighe Art Gallery's permanent collection. - JOHN BISSET/STUFF
"We're just so lucky we've got an awesome amount of artwork. We are certainly not short of materials," she said.
The project is a collaborative effort with the Aigantighe Art Gallery, which provided the paintings, and the South Canterbury Museum, which helped uncover the stories behind them, the Friends of the Aigantighe and WuHoo. The pair are both members of the Friends group and Roselyn, and husband Chris Fauth, are the founders of WuHoo.
One of Fauth's next ideas is to tell the story of Timaru's first breakwater, including the person who opposed the idea - engineer John Blackett, who designed Timaru's Blackett's Lighthouse.
"The town was so enraged that they created an effigy of him, carried it down the main street and to the edge of the breakwater, and burnt it."
PrimePort Timaru have come on board to help put the sign up, possibly at the foot of the pedestrian bridge by the breakwater.
Fauth said she was "over the moon" with the offers of donations they have received towards the project.
Cloake said the signs helped people imagine how life was when the image was drawn or painted.
"This few 100 metres down here [Caroline Bay] was where it all happened in South Canterbury," he said.
His next plan was to create a three dimensional model of the Marine Parade walk, and have the story of South Canterbury on the WuHoo website.