Business owners, volunteers and residents rolled up their sleeves for the Rev Up initiative organised by Invercargill City Council (ICC) last weekend to give Invercargill’s CBD a facelift ahead of the Burt Munro Challenge.
Windows, footpaths and shop fronts were cleaned, murals were painted, litter was picked up and old advertising posters were removed in the alleyways.
ICC city centre co-ordinator Kari Graber said about 120 people were involved.
“It was a great weekend, some big things were done. People proved they love their city and they do care about Invercargill. Volunteers said it was organised well, the spirit and excitement from the retailers has been fantastic. I would love to do it again with more major projects every couple of months.”
Artists add their touch
AS part of the Invercargill inner city Rev Up, a team of 10 artists have been painting murals on buildings and bollards throughout the CBD.
City Centre co-ordinator Kari Graber said it was part of the plan to brighten up alley ways, rubbish bins, bollards and even shop windows.
“We’re looking at having these artists create scenes in empty shop windows.
“When we look at cities like Christchurch, which has the top ten most Instagrammable spots, they really relate back to the arts. What we’re doing is we’re creating a point of difference for Invercargill… it’s about creating positivity.”
Some of the artists who had volunteered were from Invercargill and Southland.
