Something good happened in Katikati on Saturday. The skatepark on Fairview Rd — long a favourite haunt for local skaters, scooter kids and BMXers — was officially unveiled in its new form: a vivid, community-made street art piece designed and painted by up to 50 local rangatahi under the guidance of Tauranga-based artist Kalib Wallace.
The June 28 reveal event at Moore Park was exactly the kind of thing the scene runs on — a DJ, live skating and BMX demos, coaching sessions, giveaways, kai, and a whole neighbourhood turning out to see what the kids had made. Because this one really did come from the kids.
It Started With a 10-Year-Old
It started with a conversation. Pewee Tewhakaara, a regular at the park, told KOAA arts coordinator Peri St John-Ives he wanted the skatepark to feel more exciting — more alive. That one exchange set off more than a year of planning and community collaboration, and what came out the other side is a piece that genuinely reflects where it lives.
The design draws on the Kaimai Ranges, local stories and youth-generated ideas, developed in collaboration with mana whenua. Kalib Wallace — well known around the Western Bay for his commissioned work and for mentoring Te Puke youth through his 247 Health and Fitness gym — led the four-day painting workshop across June 19–22, working with Katikati College art students and rangatahi aged 7 to 17.
Wallace didn't just paint the walls. He taught: spray techniques, composition, how to handle a can. The kind of knowledge that sticks.
Art That Belongs to a Place
Peri St John-Ives put it well: "When young people are part of the process, they feel proud of it, connect with it and truly own it."
That's the difference between art that gets installed and art that actually belongs somewhere. Around 30–50 young people showed up each day to paint. Katikati College students worked it into their curriculum. A 10-year-old's skatepark dream turned into a permanent piece of their town.
The reveal event rounded it all out — professional skate and BMX demos, giveaways from SkatePro (who shipped a load of boards and merch all the way from Denmark after one email), food, music and the community celebrating something they helped build.
Big Ups
Huge respect to Kalib Wallace for leading this one with the care it deserved, and to Peri and the whole Katikati Open Air Art crew for making it happen. Thanks also to the Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund, Skate Pro, the Acorn Foundation, Katch Katikati and Creative Bay of Plenty for backing it.
This is what the scene looks like when it's at its best — spray paint in young hands, knowledge being passed on, and a community space that's a little more alive than it was before.
If you're working on something in the Bay — a wall, a project, a collab — get in touch. We love seeing what's coming next.
Source: Street art by youth to enhance skate park — SunLive, 5 June 2026 | Katikati skatepark set to shine with youth-led street art — Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund