Geelong has so much colourful and vibrant public art – if you know where to look.
Across our city murals and street art breathe life into otherwise dull walls, laneways and carparks.
Some murals paint idyllic coastal and floral scenes, such as Jasmine Crisp’s ‘They made sure to look’ or Manda Lane’s ‘Welcome to the [Concrete] Jungle’.
Others depict famous and historic figures such as rock goddess Chrissy Amphlett or Moi-Yo Miller, who was considered Australia’s most beautiful woman in the 1930s when she travelled the world as the Great Magician Dante’s assistant.
Around our CBD you can discover riotous colour, patterns and action with miniature humans cartwheeling, playing and scooting across building walls, while in quiet corners native animals and nursery rhyme characters hide in plain sight.
Sculptures in our streets also pay homage to our Indigenous, colonial and industrial history, telling our city’s story.
On the corner of Moorabool and Ryrie streets Louis Laumen’s ‘Newsboy’ pays tribute to late businessman and philanthropist Frank Costa, who sold newspapers there at age 13.
And it’s not just our CBD that’s home to a colourful array of public art.
From ‘Don’t Forget About Me: Cowies Creek’, a mural in Norlane celebrating our Indigenous history, to totem pole animal sculptures in Whittington, there are just too many examples across our municipality to mention in this column.
It’s also great to see the private sector getting involved, with a recently completed native floral mural at Federal Mills, North Geelong, getting plenty of attention on social media Australia-wide.
I encourage developers and business owners to explore opportunities for public art to bring colour to our city and make their premises stand out.
Perhaps our most iconic and uniquely ‘Geelong’ artworks are the 100-plus Baywalk Bollards on the waterfront, along with another 30 at Barwon Heads.
These fun and fascinating wooden sculptures, developed by the late Jan Mitchell between 1990 and 2001, depict the unique characters in our city’s past.
As Geelong’s most-photographed ‘people’, they promote our city through visitors’ social media and tell a story to all who pass by.
Sadly, the condition of these sculptures is declining, which is why the City is conducting a detailed assessment on all the Geelong bollards.
Once this assessment is complete, we can make a comprehensive plan for the future of these iconic sculptures, and I look forward to providing more details soon.
A Clever and Creative city needs art to inspire and challenge people, which is why I want to champion public art during my term as mayor.
The City of Greater Geelong has the largest public art and public monument collections of any municipality in Victoria, and one of the largest in Australia.
And I’m keen to explore how council can encourage even more public art in our new estates as well as established suburbs.
Public art brings culture to our city and attracts visitors, which can provide a boost for traders and make Geelong a more enjoyable place to be.
Most of all, it’s a crucial part of the cultural identity we all share, as the City of Greater Geelong.
To discover more visit geelongaustralia.com.au/publicart or download the Geelong Arts & Culture Trails app on your phone.
