Recognition for an art4place artist

In May Christine Elcoate, a member of the art4place management committee, was recognised by Rotary for her contribution to the arts in the Sunshine Coast area.

Christine is a very active member of art4place and has been the driving force behind art4place’s temporary placemaking art events such as at Festuri and in Creative Spaces 2012.

You can see Christine in action in the photos below.

Christine marshalling the Sister City Festuri Dragon

Christine working with children creating wings for the reenactment of the flight of the endangered Glossy Blacvk Cockatoo

Christine - the Rainbow Serpent storyteller

Chistine (right) with another art4place artist Cathy Lawley at an art4place social gathering

Art4place is proud to have such community minded artists such as Christine as members. Congratulations Christine and thanks for creating placemakng art and community.

Art4place artists doing community art in Japan

In May a number of art4place members (Noela, Christine, Fiona and Barry) travelled to Japan as part of a Sunshine Coast-Tatebayashi Sister City art-cultural exchange.

The Sister City activities included taking part in a citizen’s festival and visiting a range of artists’ studios.

While in Japan the exchange group also carried out a day of art with Ichikai Elementary School (IES) as part of a response to the earthquake and tsunami in Japan by Sunshine Coast artists and the SCC. Ichikai was pretty badly impacted by the earthquake. Artists and the SCC had raised funds to buy art materials for some artists to replace those lost in the earthquake and tsunami. An Australian potter (Euan Craig) and his wife who lived and in Ichikai and who had lost his house, studio and kiln facilitated the arrangements with IES and the day’s activities.

The IES activity was not placemaking art but it did tell a story of Australia’s Indigenous people through the Rainbow Sepent dreaming story; and it demonstrated, in a tangible artistic way, the concern of Australian artists for people of Japan.

All 290 children in the IES participated in: listening to the reenactment of the Rainbow Serpent story; making the Rainbow Serpent’s head and body; making serpent mobiles; and making book marks of animals and birds in the story.

Telling the Rainbow Serpent story

Artwork to the body of the serpent

Making bookmarks

Making Rainbow Serpent mobiles

Putting the Rainbow Serpent head in place

Decorations on the serpent body

Decorations on the serpent body

Getting the Rainbow Serpent ready for action

Rainbow Serpent tours the assembly hall

The funds raised were presented to the IES and education department and were to be shared across three elementary schools in the Ichikai area. The children said the day brought them much hope and joy; the artists said they were humbled by the day and the joy that art can offer to a community.

Placemaking walkway

©2013 Barry Smith - Lomandra Longifolia cut-out in the Maleny IGA walkway roof

About two years ago when Sam and Rob Outridge decided to build a wet weather covered walkway as part of the upgrade of Maleny IGA they wanted it to be more than just a functional covered way. Whilst the covered walkway had to shelter shoppers and visitors from the rain and sun as they made their way down the laneway between the Maleny IGA and Credit Union; but it could also provide an opportunity for local artists to add a touch of community art; and the pathway could tell part of the story that is Maleny.

Sam and Rob invited art4place to become partners in the design of the covered walkway. Art4place consulted its 30 plus members; and 5 design concepts were put forward. Sam and Rob decided to go with a design that combined elements from designs by Barry Smith, Edith-Ann Murray and Fiona Dempster. This design tells a story of some of the history and environmental aspects of Maleny. Designs and plans went through many modifications to meet different planning, engineering, structural, budget and construction requirements.

©2013 Barry Smith - Walkway after rain - cascading water and Lomandra Longifolia light on the path

The 50-metre long and 3-metre wide covered walkway incorporates a newly laid even concrete pathway; a series of overlapping free standing shelters covered with rusted Corten steel that channel the rain in a series of cascades towards a waterfall feature with large chains at the car park end of the pathway; a series of Lomandra Longifolia cutouts in the roof; and Perspex covers bolted over the cutouts to let the light through and keep the rain out.

©2013 Barry Smith - Walkway after rain - cascading water 

The rusted Corten steel and bolts reminds us of the water tanks used by the early dairy farmers; the roof that shelters and channels the water in a series of cascades and ends in a waterfall is a artistic representation of the water of the Obi Obi Creek and Gardners Falls; the Lomandra Longifolia is an important native plant in the area that stabilises banks and acts to mitigate erosion;  and the chains in the waterfall feature hark back to the horses and bullocks and chains used to haul timber and produce.

©Barry Smith - Fractured Lomandra Longifolia light - sunlight through water on perspex

The Maleny IGA covered walkway is not only functional; but it creates a community place and piece of community art in Maleny that tells a part of the Maleny story to visitors and locals alike.

Creative Spaces publication

As part of the acquittal for the grant provided by the Sunshine Coast Council (SCC) for Creative Spaces 2012 Fiona Dempster created a 37 page blog book of the whole event.

Shown below are the cover and a couple of openings of the book to give an idea of the quality, form and content of the book.

Basically the book includes the content and photos of all the blog posts that reported on the Creative Spaces 2012 event from the announcement of the receipt of the grant from the SCC right through to the last event - the art4place end of year celebration and launch of Peace in the Trees at Maleny Retreat.

The blog book provides a great record of the event; recognises the artists who participated; and provides the SCC with a unique record for grant acquittal purposes.

An art4place artists' celebration

Last night art4place members and Peace in the Trees sandstone sculptural artists joined together in a celebration at Maleny Retreat.

The event had a number of purposes but the most important were thanking the Maleny Retreat Gang for allowing us to do the Peace in the Trees placemaking art activity on their property; officially launch the Peace in the Trees installation with the artists who created the sandstone monoliths; and officially close Creative Spaces 2012.


The 5.5minute video below takes you on a walk visiting  the sandstone monoliths that make up Peace in the Trees.

And of course there are many other photos of artists checking the installation out and generally celebrating this achievement. There was a real joyful spirit as folk wandered around and checked out, admired and discussed the monoliths.

©2012 Fiona Dempster - Artists gather for the launch of Peace in the Trees

©2012 Barry Smith - Folk wandering - checking out the 12 sandstone monoliths

©2012 Noela Mills - Cathy L and Christine E enjoying the celebration

©Noela Mills - Ken M resting, bubbles in hand, on his reclining monolith - Be Still

There is something special about a community of artists gathering, celebrating and just connecting; and what better event to do that at than the launch of Peace in the Trees.