Follow the Owl Trail!

From March to early May, Auckland’s streets, parks and open spaces will play host to ‘The Big Hoot Art Trail,’ with 47 individually designed giant owls on display – all created by NZ artists of note, including Dick Frizzell, Jeff Thomson, Flox, Peata Larkin, Wayne Youle, Anna Leyland, Weilun Ha and Grace Wright, along with some of New Zealand’s most exciting up and coming young creatives.

The project is presented by Child Cancer Foundation in partnership with the International creator of the event, Wild in Art, and will ultimately raise significant funds for the vital work Child Cancer Foundation does to support children with cancer and their families when they need it most. 

Joining the giant owls are 60 owlets designed by Auckland school students. To show their support, Sylvia Park Shopping Centre sponsored ten local schools, providing each school with a ‘Little Hoot’ for decoration to add to the trail. Both the Middle College and the Girls’ School took up the challenge to bring in an owlet to paint during Term 4 last year. 

At the Girls’ School, a small team of girls from Years 5-7 painted together over four lunchtimes. Caroline Healey, Zarya Knox, Zoe Taylor, Lucy Grant, Charlotte Scoones, Becky Webster and Miabella Robertshaw worked to a student design to dress a very wise owlet in a Saint Kentigern uniform with a very striking result! 

At the College, a competition was opened up to Year 7 and 8 Art students to submit a design. Grace Gao, Hazel McDermott, Leticia Liang, Mikayla Funnell, Myah Pellow and Emma Garmey then combined to complete the eye-catching work, taking inspiration from the colours of the Saint Kentigern tartan and combining motifs of the Iona Cross in the eyes. 

Both owlets were completed prior to Christmas and are now ruffling up their feathers ready for display at Sylvia Park from 1 March onwards. Look out for two from Saint Kentigern! 

At the end of the display period, all the owls will be auctioned off with proceeds going to the Child Cancer Foundation. Customers visiting Sylvia Park to see the school owls, who spend $20 or more can take their receipt to the Customer Service Desk to receive a token to vote for their favourite school owl.  The school with the most votes at the end of the campaign will be donated $2,000 from Sylvia Park.

More information about the Big Hoot Trail can be found on their website: https://www.thebighoot.co.nz/

An app is available to follow the trail.