The new Guardian Tairāwhiti Sculpture on Gladstone Road, and its neighbouring icon the ‘Town Clock’, will glow pink next week in support of breast cancer awareness.

While the town clock has had its lighting colours changed several times over the years this will be a first for the Guardian Tairāwhiti which was only installed two months ago. Lighting was always going to be a feature of the sculpture says artist Drew Hill. "The ability to change the lighting colours is just another way the community can interact with the sculpture. We went through a trial run with the lights the other night. They worked well and the Guardian Tairāwhiti definitely suits a pink glow.

If other organisations would like the Guardian Tairāwhiti and or the ‘Town Clock’ to glow in support of their cause, they can contact the property services team at the Gisborne District Council. "We just need plenty of notice says property officer Kylie Cranston.

Installation of the latest Art in Public Places Trust commissioned art piece is now finished. The finishing touches were held up by bad weather.

The shape of the sculpture represents a cloak which symbolises the shared guardianship of tāngata whenua and people of Tairāwhiti. In the middle of the sculpture is a female form holding two heads in each hand. When you walk around the sculpture the heads line up and hongi. The shapes represent islands that reference the great migration theory and the patterns represent the DNA structure of us all. We played with the idea that the glass is fluid, and wanted the shapes to float like they do in a lava lamp says local artist Drew Hill.

A big thank you goes out to all the local businesses that supported this sculpture by generously donating time, materials or machinery. This includes Aitkens Concrete, BH Ritchie and Sons, Gisborne Scaffolding, McCann'ics Waikanae Holdings Ltd, Jukes ME and Son, OPUS International Consultants and Rene Lexmond Concrete Contractors.