art4place: Placemaking art

Showing posts with label Placemaking art. Show all posts

Thursday, July 23, 2015

The Peace in the Trees Sculptural Walk journey

The Peace in the Trees Sculptural Walk on the the Riverside Centre (town centre) end of the Maleny Trail (officially opened on 22 July) started its journey in 2012 as part of Art4place's Creative Spaces 2012. Craig Medson began the journey by securing and breaking Helidon sandstone (see above) in the shed at Maleny Retreat (thanks Maria and Wendy); and gently and expertly guiding 12 local artists in the creating of peace and environmental stone sculptures (check out the link and see photos below).

Earlier this year (2015) Art4place were granted funds by the Sunshine Coast Council to hire Wayne Markwort to again work with the local artists to fines the works so that the could become part of the SCC's public art collection; and be installed on the Maleny Trail on the Maleny Precinct. The artists were pleased that another experienced local stone sculptor was able to assist them to add to their works two years on.

Over a 12 month period Art4place has worked with Cllr Jenny McKay and Council art staff Ant McKenna and Julie Hauritz to transfer ownership of the sculptures to the SCC; and install them on the Maleny Trail walk.

There have been many many steps in the installation process. A big thank you to the installation team - mainly Rhyce Skodnik and Edith-Ann doing 'the heavy lifting' etc.

Selecting the location for each piece.

Soil testing and drawing engineered footings.

Transporting the works from Maleny Retreat to the precinct.

Digging footing holes and surrounding them with security barriers.

Pouring the punch pads - foundations with reinforced steel.

Drilling the pieces and inserting reinforcing steel; craning the pieces into place; levelling them; and securing them.

Pouring the concrete footings and trowelling it smooth.

Covering the concrete footings with crushed sandstone.

And adding the signs to the individual pieces and the main story boards

The installation is complete. The next blog will feature all the pieces in place. And the journey will be complete when the Peace in the Trees Sculptural Walk is officially opened on 2 September 2015.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Placemaking walkway

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.

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.

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.

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.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

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.

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.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Kim's 'Celebrating Love and Unity'

Kim Schoeberger has been busy cutting, painting and preparing hundreds of leaves ready for her workshop and installation today titled 'Celebrating Love and Unity'.

The lagoon in Russell Family Park was once a watering hole for members of the indigenous Gubbi Gubbi people as they made their way to Baroon Pocket for their annual gathering. At these gatherings stories were told, tools and ornaments exchanged, conflicts resolved and marriages arranged.

Such gatherings speak of love and unity, and by trailing hand-written messages of love and family on a sea of heart shaped leaves, Kim celebrated how Russell Family Park is still a place for gathering and for families to spend time together.

She invited people to write messages of hope, peace, love and unity on the leaves, then they were floated in rubber tubes on the pond in Montville. Kim interacted with at least 100 people and had hundreds of leaves arranged within 10 floating rings which looked very much like hot pink, black rimmed lily pads.

The installation created a sense of serenity and meditation as it drifted across the lagoon, creating differing designs and patterns as the wind took it in different directions.