art4place @ Festuri

Finishing touches, all done! The paper mache' dragon head is ready for children's workshops...

- 6 artists
- Festuri Multicultural Festival

- children's workshops all ages during 10am to 12pm and 1pm to 3pm
- 'The Stockland Village', Kings Beach, Caloundra

- this coming sunday 10th October

art4place @ Festuri event

FESTURI - is an annual event held on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. A multicultural celebration of food stalls - free performances - children's activities - workshops - storytelling - community information stalls & displays - parade - roving entertainment.

Among the many activities at Festuri, 6 artists from art4place (Barry Smith, Christine Elcoate, Fiona Dempster, Jim Cox, Noela Mills, Kim Schoenberger) will be conducting interactive children's workshops with a dragon theme, on Sunday 10th October, all ages during 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm.

Activities include; moveable dragon puppet, dragon collage, Colouring dragon scales for pinning onto a long calico train suspended from a paper mache' dragon head.

In progress Christine (above) working on the paper mache dragon head.

Kim adding the finishing touches, reading for paint.

Mouth ready for paper mache and later on will be attached to the head.

Festuri - is staged at 'The Stockland Village', Kings Beach, Caloundra, and is in conjunction with Caloundra Music Festival (9 - 10th Oct).

HT article regarding art4place and MCP

As indicated in the earlier post art4place artists have been actively involved in the community through the launch of the Maleny Placemaking Art Map and ephemeral art

The following article was published in the September 2010 edition of the Hinterland Times.

art4place participating in community

artists from art4place were active over the weekend. First there was the launch of the Maleny Placemaking Art Map as part of the Festival of Walks Street Party on Saturday 21 August; and celebration of the fact that many local artists have created the 10 works featured on the Map. All artists who had been involved in the creation of the placemaking art were invited to attend the launch. Many attended the launch; and were recognised in the speeches. Those present included: Janna P, Kirsten C, Craig M, Fiona M, Di C, Edith-Ann M, Fiona D and Barry S.


The launch also provided a good opportunity launch art4place’s new name, logo, signage and information cards.

On Sunday 22 August from 10am to 4pm four art4place artists (Kim S, Fiona D, Noela M and Barry S) created ephemeral and temporary art in the picnic area and on the Birdwing Butterfly Walk at Mary Cairncross Park. What an amazing response from the public.

At least 60 children participated in one of the five possible options (stencilling butterflies and their names, colouring in butterflies for sea of butterflies; making butterflies out of leaves; creating a butterfly covered in tiny butterflies; and gluing swatches of colour onto the big butterfly; 10-15 parents-carers also joined in the art work; and 40-50 adults paused on their walk and asked what all the art was about, who the artists were, and do they do this art anywhere else. Parents reported that their children had a ball – and of course the children were fully into it – ages ranged from about 18 months to 12 years.


The front of big butterfly almost finished with help from the smallest artist (photographed with permission of her parent)


Stencilling in action and a photo of one cluster of butterflies


A finished leaf butterfly


A butterfly of butterflies


A segment of the sea of butterflies


And the big fantasy butterfly in the trees

The Festival of the Walks involvement by art4place in Maleny and Mary Cairncross Park is mirrored by Arts Connect in Montville where an art and heritage map was launched on Sunday 22 August; and artworks created on the Kondalilla Falls walk.

From ArtSite to art4place

You may be wondering why ArtSite had disappeared off the radar to be replaced by art4place. The short answer is that there were legal issues with the ArtSite name, so we brainstormed to come up with 'art4place' which seems to be a popular choice with most members. As a consequence, we needed a new logo and new publicity material, so last week was spent designing new DL cards and posters to promote our placemaking organisation. This is what we have come up with.

New logo:

    DL flyer front:

DL flyer back:

This is what it says:

"art4place is a community based enterprise that promotes, coordinates and manages community placemaking public art ventures in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland of SE Queensland, Australia.

Placemaking art highlights the connections of people to the places in which they live. It creates places that engage people, and gives them a sense of belonging to the community.

art4place works with artists, community groups, businesses and all levels of government to promote existing placemaking art and to create new placemaking art.

Artists, businesses, groups and government agencies are invited to indicate their interest in placemaking by registering with art4place.

Registration is free.

art4place is auspiced by:

Hinterland Business Centre

38a Coral Street

Maleny 4552

Qld, Australia

Contact:

Email: Edith-Ann Murray at info@hinterland.biz

Ph: +61 7 5599 9911

Web: www.art4place.com.au

Blog: http://art4place.blogspot.com"

Poster:

..and this is what is written on the poster:

"Placemaking art highlights the connections of people to the places in which they live. It creates places that engage people, and gives them a sense of belonging to the community. art4place works with artists, community groups, businesses and all levels of government to promote existing placemaking art and to create new placemaking art. Artists, businesses, groups and government agencies are invited to indicate their interest in placemaking art by registering with art4place".

Hopefully you will see the information around town and you can help spread the word. The launch of the placemaking map tomorrow in Cooke Park will help to raise our public profile.

Feedback from members is always welcome.

Art4place artists join in the Festival of the Walks

Art4place and Arts Connect have made a commitment to be artistically involved in this year's Festival of the Walks (FoW). Arts Connect will coordinate activities in Montville and Kondalilla Falls Park; and art4place will be involved in a number of activities in Maleny and Mary Cairncross Park.

art4place's activities include:
* Saturday 21 August art4place’s Maleny Placemaking Art Map will be launched and distributed as part of the FoW Maleny Street Party starting around 11.30am.
* Sunday 22 August (10am-3pm) ephemeral artworks themed on the Birdwing Butterfly will be created by art4place artists in the picnic area of Mary Cairncross Park and throughout the Birdwing Butterfly Walk adjoining the picnic area.
* Sunday 29 August there will be a 'Show & Tell' at the Mapleton Markets from 7.30am -12.30pm where art4place artists will join Arts Connect artists display the construction of and finished products of Kondalilla and MCP ephemeral artworks with photographic and possibly public participation presentations. The art4place Maleny Placemaking Art Map and Arts Connect Montville Art Trail will also be available.

Ephemeral placemaking art:

On Sunday 22 August art4place artists will be involved in the creation of the following pieces of ephemeral placemaking art:
**** Butterflies from leaves – located near the timber platform and associated screens on Butterfly walk – made from Norfolk Pine and Bleeding Heart fronds and leaves
**** Stenciling Butterflies and Butterfly names (Variety of sizes) - along the path and edge of path and on grass on edge of picnic area – stenciling will be done with fine sand and Talc
**** Butterfly sail – in the trees before the timber platform on the Butterfly walk it will be made from stretch fabric, string and paint
**** The big butterfly – created from glued on coloured paper swatches - adjacent to path between platform and end of the Butterfly walk – it will have a light frame for butterfly and the public will be invited to glue paper squares onto the butterfly to create texture and colour
**** Sea of butterflies – an installation of coloured in butterfly images at the beginning and end of the Butterfly walk

Join in

If you want to be part of creating the ephemeral placemaking art why not come to Mary Cairncross Park between 10am and 3pm on Sunday 22 August - make it a picnic, bring the children - good family and creative fun.

Banff supporting placemaking art

Recently I was fortunate to visit Banff (Canada) - why fortunate? Small as it was Banff demonstrated that the town values placemaking art. Over a period of about 8 years the town has commissioned five pieces or installations (3 stone and 2 bronze) of public art and placemaking that relates to and tells a story about different aspects of the place.

The Mountain Camp celebrated the pioneer spirit of the place.

But my favourite was four crows on tall granite poles - a reference to the crows that are part of the landscape.

I thought the crow above was both inquisitive and haunting.

And I particularly liked the seat made from old snowboards - not a piece commissioned by the town. But what a placemaking story - connection with the youth, snowboarding and the business it was outside of.

Winton a hive of placemaking-public art

Recently Fiona and I were fortunate enough to do a road trip to Mackay and Longreach for art purposes. On the way to Longreach we passed through Winton and were impressed with a number of placemaking art pieces including: the Waltzing Matilda story; the Musical fence; and Arno's Wall.

In this post I will share a few photos of the Waltzing Matilda display and will do separate posts on the Musical Fence and Arno's crazy wall.

The Waltzing Matilda place is on a median strip in the main street. The Waltzing Matilda poem originated in Winton so it is really part of that place; and the public art is therefore connected to the community - it creates a sense pof place. The 'art piece' consists of a series of sandstone blocks - about 900mm high and 600mm square. Each block has a verse of Waltzing Matilda and out of the block is some bronze piece that represents the core element of the verse. The photos show the overall place and a few of the blocks. The other thing that amazed us was that this was created with public funds.

Sculpture on the Edge - sculptures reflecting place

In one sense the Sculpture on the Edge Exhibition advertised in the flyer below is not really placemaking art in the purest sense but in a broader sense it is.

A bunch of Arts Connect and ArtSite artists (about 15 artists in all) are creating sculptural art for places. In the exhibition these art pieces will be in the Lucas Parklands garden and associated rain forest walk; but the art could also be just as well suited to public and community places.

The artists have accepted the challenge to create new works and installations (some ephemeral and some that can be moved to other locations) that reflect the forest and the special features of the forest walk. Many of the works will be comments on aspects of the place and aim to communicate that to visitors.

MELBOURNE

I have just returned from an exciting and stimulating couple of weeks 'down south'. Melbourne sure is the place for great architectural design and creative civil engineering. A big thumbs up for the forward thinking professionals responsible. The sad part is that Melbournians take their creative built environment for granted and don't marvel at the visual tapestry surrounding them.

I have dozens of pics to post when relevent, but will start with a favourite few.

This fabulous 'structure' is on the new linkway between King Way and the West Gate bridge.

Part of the Federation Square & Ian Potter Gallery complex.

 

... as seen in the hallway of the fabulous old Nicholson Building, off Cathedral Arcade, 37 Swanston St.,- a precinct for creative, slightly 'grunge' artistic activity - production, exhibition, retail - operates a bit like a co-operative.

A little alley off Degraves Place [the lovely little eatery alleyway]. Don't know what was going on, but the locals had certainly made it 'their place'.

Elemental Labyrinth - Mackay

Recently Fiona and I travelled to Mackay to check out the Libris Awards for artists' books; and the Mackay Artspace Gallery as well.

Because of my involvement in ArtSite and placemaking more generally I am more and more on the look out for what artists are doing in their communities to tell the stories of community or add new stories to the spaces in the community.

In the grounds just adjacent to the entry to the Mackay Artspace Gallery there is a placemaking piece called The Elemental Labyrinth by Jill Chism. She says the labyrinth with its 8 elements is a metaphor for life.



The first couple of photos show the labyrinth nestled into the grass; and a bit of the detail of the entry and centre.



The photos above show a couple of the 8 elemental words words the artist has worked into the edges of the labyrinth path as it moves from the entry to the centre.

I felt the artist had created a quiet space to sit and be still and peaceful; but it also provides an opportunity to think about what underpins our lives.

...seen on the beach on Bruny Island

How is this for a lovely piece of ephemeral public art?

My Bruny Island [Tasmania] friends, Sandra and Richard, came across these two on their morning walk. The shadows add a wonderful third element to the composition. 

Geelong Foreshore

The City of Geelong on Corio Bay just west of Melbourne has the most wonderful  array of interesting sculptural bollards and installations. You can stroll for kilomoters along the foreshore, enjoying the characters and historical maritime references.

...not a good advertisement for 'placemaking' as such, because there were not a lot of people on the forshore. The day before I took these pics, Geelong had won the Footy grand final, so the whole town was in pubs and cafes celebrating, or else nursing hangovers!!