Art & creativity  |  1 Jul 2019

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A public artwork paying tribute to the bar-tailed godwits that spend the summer on Christchurch’s Southshore could soon be flying high in South Brighton.

An artist's impressions of the Godwits sculpture.

An artist's impression of The Godwits, a sculpture proposed for South Brighton.

The sculpture could be installed on a Christchurch City Council road reserve near the South Brighton Bridge if it is given the go-ahead by the Council’s Social, Community Development and Housing Committee at a meeting this Wednesday.

The Godwits features seven painted stainless steel birds on top of tall poles that allow the birds to rotate in the wind. The height ranges from 5.3 metres to 6.6 metres tall. 

The artwork has been offered as a gift to the city of Christchurch by the South Brighton Residents’ Association which commissioned local artist Bon Suter to design the work.

It has been proposed as a way to identify South Brighton as an area of natural beauty and a place where the godwits arrive and leave from each year.

The Committee will consider a staff recommendation in favour of the sculpture’s permanent installation and ongoing maintenance. If the Committee supports the plan, it will also need to be approved by the Council.

Bon Suter is a professional sculptor and tutor who created the South Brighton Sculpture Park. She has represented Christchurch City Council at the Festival of Arts in Adelaide and her work is held in public and private collections around the world.

The Council has contributed to funding for the artwork through the Coastal Community Board Discretionary Fund. The balance was raised through community events and donations. It is valued at about $89,000. 

Bar-tailed godwits (kuaka) usually arrive in Christchurch in mid-September after flying thousands of kilometres from their breeding grounds in Alaska. The wading birds spend the summer here before leaving in March to make another huge return migration to Alaska.

They have become a well-known part of the local landscape and a Farewell to the Godwits event is held each year at Southshore Spit Reserve.