New beginnings for placemaking art in waning 2009

It is strange how new endeavours start! Edith-Ann (E-A) from Maleny Art Supplies is always: on the go; coming up with new ideas and connections between people and ideas; and recycling stuff.

As I indicated earlier this year on my personal blog she had been talking about building a story path as a piece of placemaking art at the Hinterland Business Centre (HBC). Big mistake on my behalf when I offered to help mix cement – and then suddenly I found that I was part of a team (Team Grimus – aka the Dirt Team) designing, recycling and building a path with input from onlookers and other interested community residents. Only Joking E-A (aka Primus Grimus) – I really enjoyed the creative community journey.

Anyway the path got built and opened – but more importantly it led us to ask the questions: Why in a community that has more artists per square kilometre do we not have some system or group that supports the design and development of public-placemaking art? Why was it that in the main the coordination of such endeavours is often handled by businesses or organisations outside our Hinterland community?

Those questions were addressed at a meeting of artists and artist organisations (COMA and ArtsConnect) on 5 November at HBC. At that meeting ArtSite – a community enterprise dedicated to the promotion, design, development, coordination and management of public-placemaking art in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland was born.

In the six weeks from that meeting:
* Over twenty people have registered to be involved in the ArtSite enterprise;
* An ArtSite Management Steering Committee has been formed and met on 5 occasions;
* Sponsorship and business administrative arrangements, including insurance, have been agreed with HBC;
* Website and blog domain names have been acquired and blog and website are under development;
* Operational and business rules have been developed;
* A policy to acquire some initial operating capital via donations from Foundation Supporters has been agreed and is being promoted; and
* Most importantly ArtSite is holding discussions with 5 potential ‘clients’ regarding placemaking projects.

So while ArtSite has been born in the tail end of 2009 it will take bigger placemaking art steps in 2010 by actually being involved in placemaking projects. So watch this space for further developments and inputs from members of the ArtSite MSC (Wendy van der Drift, Gemma Black, Malcolm Holz, Edith-Ann Murray and Barry Smith).

But above all:
* Become a follower to this blog; and/or
* Subscribe to it; and/or
* Become involved an interested ArtSite member; and/or
* Become a Foundation Supporter.