Category: Public art

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Public Art, Young Women Artists Have Something to Say

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Something to Say art installations

Young people are often described as having nothing to say. Well, at Oran Park, outside the Camden Council administration building, there is a series of artworks that have Something to Say. The artworks are part of the Camden Council’s Camden Council’s Youth Participation Public Art Program, which began in 2016.

These works are described as temporary art installations. They were created by young women artists between the ages of 12 and 24. The artists were encouraged to tell their own stories within their own communities and enhance their skills as artists.

The aim of the public art program is as

a place making initiative that encourages local youth and artist collaboration to create vibrant spaces that foster a sense of belonging and identity.

https://www.camden.nsw.gov.au/community/support/cultural-development-and-arts/camden-council-public-arts/something-to-say-eoi/

Artworks often tell stories through a series of images or by selecting a moment in time. These are narrative works that illustrate aspects of an artist’s life or some historical event, cultural festival, religious theme, or perhaps a legendary figure or mythic character.

The J Paul Getty Museum states that teaching young people stories in art involves lessons that

will build students’ awareness of how stories can be told visually and how artists use color, line, gesture, composition, and symbolism to tell a story. Students will interpret and create narratives based upon a work of art and apply what they have learned to create works of art that tell a story.

https://www.getty.edu/education/teachers/classroom_resources/curricula/stories/
Something to Say art installation outside Camden Council administration building at Oran Park (CC 2023)

The young women who participated in the Something to Say program worked with local Menangle artist Michele Arentz.

On the Camden Council website, each of the artists in the program has issued a statement of intent or a statement that outlines the story that each of the artists tell in their works.

These young women are from different cultural backgrounds and have used their agency to tell intensely personal stories. The stories reflect a diversity of life experiences and provide an insight into the minds of Gen Z.

The artworks reflect different storytelling techniques across a range of art mediums and styles.

Women artists and their statements of intent

Team leader

Michele Arentz @marentzy

In my artwork, I have tried to create a symbolic representation of the elements that the young people in the Something to Say program have chosen to identify as having a positive influence in their lives to date or into their futures.

For example, the elements I have tried to convey in my artwork are featured around family support, promoting togetherness and strength of character, links to community via faith and sport, creativity, expression through artmaking, and achieving academically and spiritually.

https://www.camden.nsw.gov.au/community/support/cultural-development-and-arts/camden-council-public-arts/something-to-say-eoi/

Something to Say art installation outside the front of the Camden Administration building at Oran Park. (I Willis 2024)

Young women artists

Ayesha Khan @ajk_afflatus

My artwork depicts women of all different ages and ethnicities in a public bathroom looking at a mirror. It is a reflection of all the different walks of life that people come from, as well as women’s empowerment. These women all have different careers or roles they play in life, from mother to fast food worker, doctor to student. 

https://www.camden.nsw.gov.au/community/support/cultural-development-and-arts/camden-council-public-arts/something-to-say-eoi/

Something to Say art installation outside the front of the Camden Administration building at Oran Park. (I Willis 2024)

Channie Chu

I decided to create this artwork as it incorporates some of my favourite things in life that I love, including art, the city and flowers. These express who I am and what I love. This artwork is made with acrylic paint and posca paint markers. 

https://www.camden.nsw.gov.au/community/support/cultural-development-and-arts/camden-council-public-arts/something-to-say-eoi/

Something to Say art installation outside the front of the Camden Administration building at Oran Park. (I Willis 2024)

Eashtha Inavolu

My artwork is based upon a picture of me that was taken during a family trip. The painting reflects my love for nature and plants. The colourful flowers on the heart represent all the people who bring joy to my life. I chose to paint this because it embraces who I am in an indirect way.

https://www.camden.nsw.gov.au/community/support/cultural-development-and-arts/camden-council-public-arts/something-to-say-eoi/

Something to Say art installation outside the front of the Camden Administration building at Oran Park. (I Willis 2024)

Evie Hay

My Something to Say project is about the struggles and challenges in life that relates to all audiences. It’s about the importance of having positivity, community and creativity to push you towards your goals. 

https://www.camden.nsw.gov.au/community/support/cultural-development-and-arts/camden-council-public-arts/something-to-say-eoi/

Something to Say art installation outside the front of the Camden Administration building at Oran Park. (I Willis 2024)

Jade Stein

With this painting, I wanted to visualise the warmth and community that can be found in churches all across the Camden LGA. To do this, I gave my impression of a familiar building, St John’s Anglican Church, surrounded by a diversity of people spending time with each other in the afternoon light. Although the historical structure is almost 200 years old, it is still a place of fellowship for the community. I also wanted to emphasise the role that any place of meeting or worship can have in bringing people together and developing a sense of belonging and connection.

https://www.camden.nsw.gov.au/community/support/cultural-development-and-arts/camden-council-public-arts/something-to-say-eoi/

Something to Say art installation outside the front of the Camden Administration building at Oran Park. (I Willis 2024)

Jessica Beck

In my artwork, I have painted a Barbie doll with the words “Life Is Short Make Every Hair Flip Count” to represent the role of a female. This is not just because Barbie has become a huge influence for children, in particular girls, but because as we grow, we long for the days when we knew who we were and weren’t aware of our passion being destroyed by the real world. This painting represents that we can still regain the confidence and innocence that we once had by simple things like flipping your hair. 

https://www.camden.nsw.gov.au/community/support/cultural-development-and-arts/camden-council-public-arts/something-to-say-eoi/

Something to Say art installation outside the front of the Camden Administration building at Oran Park. (I Willis 2024)

Karrin Smith-Down

My artwork is called ‘The Fridge’. Members of the local community may have personal issues and concerns, but not many know how to reach out for help. For this artwork, I convey services and ways to reach out through post-it notes on a fridge, which is where people put most of their important things. 

https://www.camden.nsw.gov.au/community/support/cultural-development-and-arts/camden-council-public-arts/something-to-say-eoi/

Something to Say art installation outside the front of the Camden Administration building at Oran Park. (I Willis 2024)

Lana Johnstone

In loving memory of Olive McAleer.

This artwork is inspired by my late great-grandmother Olive McAleer’s artworks. Family and heritage are an important part of my life. I wanted to display this through a clear connection between my artwork and my grandmother’s artworks, from the brushwork to the colours to the type of flower – white camellias. I wanted to add my own unique features to the artwork, with the Australian flowers seen. I am passionate about caring for and protecting Australian nature and wanted to include that to merge aspects of my life into my grandmother’s artwork.

https://www.camden.nsw.gov.au/community/support/cultural-development-and-arts/camden-council-public-arts/something-to-say-eoi/

Something to Say art installation outside the front of the Camden Administration building at Oran Park. (I Willis 2024)

Srihitha Nagella

I painted this on my board because it holds some of my favourite moments. The pink moon represents the blood moon that I have always wanted to see. So, the night of the eclipse I waited all night and then fell asleep when it rose. The African violets represent the ones on my windowsill.

https://www.camden.nsw.gov.au/community/support/cultural-development-and-arts/camden-council-public-arts/something-to-say-eoi/

Something to Say art installation outside the front of the Camden Administration building at Oran Park. (I Willis 2024)

Rosa Quispe

My artwork is based on how sport brings everyone together. I show a little of each sport, whether it is a ball or a player. As a personal touch, I decided to highlight football, since football has helped me to understand Australia’s culture and blend with the people in the community. I added keywords, such as ‘communication’, which means that through sport we can know other people better. ‘Passion’ that motivates people to commit in sports and be able to achieve their goals. Lastly, ‘teamwork’ is in every sport, whether it is played 1vs1 or in groups. It always involves supporting and helping each other. My main message to get across is that sports leads to people being united and being a big family, without exception. 

https://www.camden.nsw.gov.au/community/support/cultural-development-and-arts/camden-council-public-arts/something-to-say-eoi/

Something to Say art installation outside the front of the Camden Administration building at Oran Park. (I Willis 2024)

Concluding Remarks

These art installations demonstrate how art can contribute to community-building through the construction of placemaking.

Public art encourages cultural tourism by promoting community identity and a sense of place. These factors contribute to job creation and the enhancement of local business opportunities.

Something to Say art installation on a bus shelter in Harrington Street Elderslie in the early dawn light (I Willis 2024)

All photographs are by Ian Willis unless otherwise indicated.

Updated on 29 March 2024. Originally posted on 22 March 2024 as ‘Public art by young women artists on display at Oran Park’.

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Public art in Hobart tells the story of female convicts in Van Diemen’s Land

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Hidden in the shadows

Public art has been used in Hobart to reveal stories of female convicts that have been hidden in the shadows for decades.

The silence of history has been broken, and the layers of history have been peeled back to reveal a story of resilience and agency in the face of misery and hardship.

The logo of the Cascades Female Factory Historic Site in South Hobart (CFFHS)

These stories have been commemorated in two sets of statues, one on the Hobart waterfront and one at the Cascades Female Factory in South Hobart, by Irish sculptor Rowan Gillespie.

Footsteps Towards Freedom (2017)

In 2017, the Footsteps Towards Freedom statues were installed on the Hobart waterfront and unveiled by the President of Ireland, Michael Higgins, and the Governor of Tasmania, Kate Warner.

The proposal was first mooted in 2015 when Hobart Lord Mayor Sue Hickey, the Speaker of the House of Assembly Elise Archer and the Governor of Tasmania met to discuss the project.

Irish sculptor Rowan Gillespie was commissioned to undertake the art installations. Dublin-based Gillespie is from a global community of bronze-casting sculptors and works from a foundry in County Clare in Ireland. He is one of the few who works on site-specific art installations and uses the lost wax casting process to portray human emotions where a metal sculpture is cast from an original.

Footsteps Towards Freedom art installation at Macquarie Wharf No 1 on the Hobart waterfront (I Willis 2024)

The four statues that make up Footsteps Towards Freedom are located on Macquarie Wharf No. 1, where the convict women were taken off the ships.

The women were then walked up Macquarie Street to the Female Factory to await assignment or to be kept there if they were considered unassignable.

The Monuments Australia website states that Footsteps Towards Freedom is:

 From 1803 to 1853, almost 13,000 convict women together with 2,000 children arrived in Van Diemen’s Land.

https://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/landscape/settlement/display/112076-footsteps-towards-freedom

<pic 4 statues on Macquarie wharf Hobart>

The President of Ireland Michael Higgins said at the opening of the art installation:

These sculptures, let us remind ourselves, also make common cause with the suffering of migrants in our times. They should remind us that the trauma of displacement and forced exile are not experiences confined to our past, but are the lived experience of millions around the world today, including many who now call Australia home.

https://fromtheshadows.org.au

From the Shadows (2021)

Following on from the success of the Footsteps of Freedom project, the Governor of Tasmania, Kate Warner, launched the From the Shadows project at a reception at Government House in 2019.

In 2021, the Governor of Tasmania, Kate Warner, unveiled the first of two statues, one of a pregnant convict outside the Cascades Female Factory and the other in the factory yard.

The statues were designed and constructed by Irish sculptor Rowan Gillespie.

From the Shadows art installation at the Cascades Female Factory in South Hobart. This statue of a pregnant female convict, completed by Irish sculptor Rowan Gillespie, is located outside the grounds of the factory. (I Willis 2024)

The Governor of Tasmania Kate Warner said at the opening of the first statue in 2021

The narrative of the pregnant convict woman highlights that there is much more to a convict life than a crime, a trial and sentence. The statue of the pregnant convict woman is evocative and challenging, and is designed to make those viewing her ask: who is she? why is she here? what became of her baby?

https://www.govhouse.tas.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2022-03/from_the_shadows_2021_.pdf
Statue of a female convict in the yard of the Cascades Female Factory that is part of the art installation From the Shadows by Irish sculptor Rowan Gillespie. (I Willis 2024)

Cascades Female Factory

The Cascades Female Factory was one of a number of sites of reform and retribution of the British penal system in Van Diemen’s Land, where women could be hidden from their English masters.

Cascades Female Factory in South Hobart (CFFHS)

Women of Irish, Scottish and Welsh descent and working-class English women from the northern counties.

If the factory walls could speak, they would tell harrowing tales of depravity, immorality and corruption. Decadence, sinfulness, perversion, degenerate, evil and wickedness for the upright church-going middle-class of colonial Hobart.

The female factory was opened at the Cascades from 1828 to 1856 at a time when women had few legal rights. The story of the female factory is one of women’s agency, resilience and perseverance in the face of incredible adversity and hardship. Hundreds of descendants in Tasmania point to these stories.

Now rebuilt with a new interpretative information centre, the female factory allows these stories to be told. Women’s stories and experiences at the female factory have been re-interpreted. Stories of trauma, queerness, loss and dispossession of children, and loss of identity.

One of the yards at the Cascades Female Factory in South Hobart (I Willis 2024)

The very fact of the isolation and desolation of the female factory did, in its own way, lead to enough remnants of the factory remaining on its original site to be able to resurrect the stories and experiences of the women experiences and stories.

Careful interpretation of the old and its remnants have produced a hauntingly real experience for visitors at a site of hardship and trauma for many women inmates.  

 The Cascades Female Factory website states that the

Cascades Female Factory Historic Site bears witness to the displacement, oppression and control of women in Tasmania. We honour their pain and loss, their courage and perseverance. 

 https://femalefactory.org.au/audioguide/
Cascades Female Factory in South Hobart in the late 19th century (CFFHS)

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Public art, Camden Civic Centre

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Camden Art Prize winners

In the garden at the front of the Camden Civic Centre, there are two sculptures many people have forgotten about. The artists won prizes at the annual Camden Art Prize held at the Camden Civic Centre.

The Camden Art Prize is an important local festival which has been running since 1974. The inaugural prize was initiated under the direction of Camden Municipal Art Festival Committee Chairman, Mayor Bruce Ferguson. The acquisitive award was established with the aim of creating the Camden Municipal Art Collection. (Catalogue, 44th Camden Art Prize 2019)

‘Crossroads’ by Diego Latella (1977)

Diego Latella is a painter, sculptor, teacher and printmaker who studied in Sydney, New York and Italy. He arrived in Australia from Italy in 1955 and held his first solo exhibition in 1973. He has won several awards in Australia and overseas for his art, including the Camden Art Prize in 1977 for his sculpture ‘Crossroads’. (https://www.aasd.com.au/artist/15269-diego-latella/)

The sculpture ‘Crossroad’ by Diego Latella won the 1977 Camden Art Prize. The artwork is installed in the front garden at the Camden Civic Centre (I Willis, 2023)

‘Space’ by Irene Carroll (1994)

Irene Carroll is a painter, sculptor, photographer and printmaker from Farmborough Heights on the NSW South Coast, and works in a variety of mediums, including mediums wood, metal, concrete, bronze, mosaics, and silk. Born in Holland, she studied in Australia.

Carroll states in her biography:

My work evolves from the materials available and the space and time I am in. It pays homage to the struggle to find identity. I develop and explore, creating unity, harmony and balance in the materials I work with. I rarely plan, working instinctively allowing the materials to guide the final result.

https://sculptorssociety.com/sculptors/irene-carroll/

Carroll’s work ‘Space’ won the 20th Camden Art Prize in 1994.

The sculpture ‘Space’ by Irene Carroll won the 1994 Camden Art Prize. The artwork is installed in the front garden at the Camden Civic Centre (I Willis, 2023)

Updated 23 December 2023. Originally posted on 22 December 2023.

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Camden Library and Museum public art

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Collaborative efforts

The 2007 Camden Library and Camden Museum redevelopment project resulted in a community collaboration to create a mix of public artworks.

The collaboration process was led by Camden Council Cultural Development Coordinator Angela Pasqua. Participants included school children, TAFE students, artists and sculptors.

The artworks were commissioned by Camden Council..

The efforts have been documented in a pamphlet called ‘The Walls Have Words’ originally published by Camden Council.

Public artworks at the Camden Library and Museum on the old fire station and original temperance hall forecourt. Created by sculptor Benjamin Gilbert and titled Chaise Lounge Ensemble, they were aimed at introducing a ‘feminine touch’ in a previously male-dominated domain. (I Willis, 2023)

Public artworks on the forecourt of the Camden Library and Museum at 40 John Street Camden. The sculptures are called the Chaise Lounge Ensemble. (I Willis, 2023)

The Camden Library and Museum John Street frontage. The Chaise Lounge Ensemble is shown on the forecourt of the former fire station. (I Willis 2023)

Redevelopment of Camden Library and Camden Museum

The aim of the 2007 redevelopment project was to integrate three former historical buildings, fire station, school of arts and council offices, into a contemporary functional space for the use of the Camden community using the adaptation principles outlined by the Burra Charter (2013). The former school of arts was occupied by Camden Library, while the Camden Museum was located in the former Camden Council offices.

The state government and Camden Council spent around $2.5 million to bring Camden Library up to contemporary library floor space requirements. This was achieved by enclosing a laneway between the former fire station and school of arts (library) buildings.

The works enclosed the laneway using a glass roof to create a galleria that has been used for a variety of public events for the library and museum.

The galleria space was created by the enclosure of the former laneway between the former fire station and library buildings. (CHS 2022)
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‘Alan’s Art Deco’ exhibition at Macaria

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Review: ‘Alan’s Art Deco’ Exhibition, Alan Baker Art Gallery, Macaria, 37 John Street, Camden. October 2023-April 2024.

Interwar Art Deco style

A new art exhibition at Camden’s Alan Baker Art Gallery highlights the modernity and cosmopolitanism of the interwar period in an exhibition of artist Alan D Baker called ‘Alan’s Art Deco’.

The interwar period was a vibrant time for Australia following the trauma of the First World War. It was a time of hopes and dreams, new ideas and styles, best expressed by the Sydney Harbour Bridge, an exclamation mark in modernism.

The cover of ‘Alan’s Art Deco’ exhibition catalogue which tells the story of the artist Alan D Baker and his artworks as a commercial artist between the 1930s and 1950s. (I Willis 2023)

In sleepy Camden, cosmopolitanism and modernity appeared in the form of new banking chambers, car dealerships, motor garages and movie palaces that appeared in the town centre from new coal.

Pubs in Camden were modernised. Across the state, the big brewers wanted modernity displayed in their commercial promotions and hired commercial artists like Alan Baker to express this in the Art Deco style.

Art Deco is a style that the exhibition catalogue describes for its

clean shapes and lines, geometric and stylised ornamentation and above all, a celebration of the luxury of modernity, the style influenced every visual medium, from architecture to fine art.

(Catalogue Notes)

The Art Deco style first appeared in the 1925 Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, and then developed over the next 15 years in Western Europe and the USA.

Exhibition

‘Alan’s Art Deco’ exhibition illustrates the artwork of artist Alan D Baker and is spread across four galleries, portraying his work from the 1930s to the 1950s. Baker created a range of artworks that were used as posters, murals, bottle labels, coasters, newspaper and magazine advertising, menus and theatre programs. (Catalogue Notes)

Alan D Baker (1914-1987) left school at 15 and enrolled full-time to study art at JS Watkin Art School in Sydney. Gary Baker, Alan’s son, writes that

Great emphasis was placed on tonal drawing in pencil charcoal , pen and washes and after about 4 years Alan was allowed to paint in oil colour.

https://www.garybaker.com.au/alan-d-baker/

According to Gary Baker, Alan had

a great love of the Australian countryside and enjoyed travelling in his caravan with his family and dog, visiting the Flinders Ranges – South Australia, Central Australia, Queensland – especially Longreach, and Northern and Western New South Wales. On the south coast of New South Wales, at Gerroa, he had a holiday house. This was the source for many of his landscapes and seascapes.

His works are in the New South Wales Art Gallery, the National Gallery – Canberra, Queensland Institute of Technology, the Hinton collection at Armidale, and many private and public collections.

https://www.garybaker.com.au/alan-d-baker/

Exhibition Across Four Galleries

Fittingly, exhibition curator Roger Percy has divided Baker’s career into four galleries, starting with Gallery 1, themed ‘Welcome To The Era’. This gallery displays a series of Baker’s works from the 1930s. These artworks were part of the artist’s life between being a student at JS Watkins Art School and then as an art instructor until 1938 when the school closed on the retirement of John Watkins.

After 1938, Baker turned to commercial art after his return from war service in New Guinea during the Second World War. Themed ‘Black & White’ Gallery 2 displays advertisements that were created using a scratchboard for ‘newspaper image printing’. This fine detail required the artist to use ‘scrap knives to scrape ink off a surface to reveal the white clay beneath’. Originating in 19th century Europe, this was ‘a cheaper and quicker alternative to alternative to other printing methods’ while retaining the fine lines from the artwork.  (Catalogue Notes)

‘The Originals’ displayed in Gallery 3 shows work commissioned by one of Australia’s oldest brewers, Tooth & Co, which tied over 600  hotels to sell its products. The company commissioned artists like Baker to advertise beer and link it to sport, health and cultural sophistication. Baker’s contributions were created using self-portraits, while other works depict his father.

Visitors at the exhibition opening of ‘Alan’s Art Deco’ consulting the catalogue and viewing Alan Baker’s work ‘And KB on the Ice for Supper’. (I Willis 2023)

One of ‘The Originals’ is ‘And KB on the ice for supper!’ and has been described by the Australian Beer Posters website as

 a fantastic Australian brewery poster to compliment any wall [that] are highly collectable and a refreshing way to bring colour and verve onto any wall.

(Australian Beer Posters)

Journalist Stephen Gibbs has written in the Daily Mail Australia that

KB was first brewed in Sydney at Tooth & Co’s Kent Brewery – hence the name – in 1918 and was the dominant packaged beer in New South Wales for much of the 1970s and 1980s.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10175639/KB-Lager-returns-bottle-shops-decade-legendary-beer-disappeared.html
The gates of Tooth & Co Kent Brewery at 26 George Street West, Broadway, Sydney. KB Beer was named after this brewery. The two images are from 1939 and 2005. (CoS)

Gallery 4 is themed as ‘Commercial Print’ and depicts Baker’s original commercial artworks ‘in classic Art Deco scenes with flawless figures, precise draftsmanship and idealised scenes’. (Catalogue Notes)

The exhibition is privileged to be loaned several artworks from the Powerhouse Museum Collection and the Josef Lebovic Gallery in Sydney.

Poster art outdoors

Baker’s poster art for Tooth & Co was often displayed on the outside walls of hotels and is a form of public art.

The exhibition curator, Roger Percy, has followed a similar principle and made some of Baker’s artworks into outdoor posters displayed in prominent locations in and around the Camden town centre, including bus shelters, car park walls, fences and garbage bins.

This poster art of Alan D Baker’s artwork is on public display on the wall of Camden’s Oxley Street Carpark at the rear of the Alan Baker Art Gallery at 37 John Street Camden. Baker created his poster art for Tooth & Co to be on public display on prominent hotel walls around Sydney. (I Willis, 2023)

I think Baker would be pleased that his artwork is on public display for everyone in the general public to view. It is a very democratic approach to public art.

Baker created his artwork for Tooth & Co to be on public display in prominent locations for all to see.

Ringing in the opening

At the official opening, the MC Philippa Percy invited Gary Baker, Alan’s son, to tell his father’s story and then invited Camden Mayor Ashleigh Cagney to ring the gallery bell to officially open the exhibition.

Gary Baker, Alan Baker’s son, tells his father’s story at the opening of the exhibition ‘Alan’s Art Deco’. (I Willis, 2023)

The exhibition is found in Camden’s historic Macaria, a Victorian gentleman’s townhouse designed and built in the Picturesque Gothic Renaissance Revival style in 1860, the Alan Baker Art Gallery home.

The gallery is in the Camden Town Centre’s historic John Street precinct, where you will find next door the former police barracks (1878) adjacent to court house (1857), all opposite the former temperance hall (1867) and school of arts (1866).

This is an enticing exhibition that highlights another aspect of the talent and skill of Alan D Baker as a commercial artist. ‘Alan’s Art Deco’ adds to earlier exhibitions that have demonstrated other aspects of Baker’s art career, for example, the 2021 exhibition FACE to FACE: Live Sittings 1936 – 1972 .

The Alan Baker Art Gallery is located at 37 John Street, Camden. Exhibition entry is free, and the gallery is open Thursday to Sunday from 11am to 4pm. Free off-street is available in Larkin Place, Camden and the Oxley Decked Car Park, Camden, at the rear of the gallery.

The Alan Baker Art Gallery in the historic Macaria building at 37 John Street Camden. (I Willis 2023)
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Narellan Library Murals, a wall of public art

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Colourful mural artwork

The casual observer may have noticed the colourful murals outside the Narellan Library along Queen Street Narellan.

These mural artworks were commissioned by Camden Council in 2017, which engaged mural artist Mandy Salter.

A portion of one of the two mural artworks on the Queen Street wall of Narellan Library. (I Willis, 2023)

Salter collaborated with local young artists as part of Camden Council’s 2017-2018 Youth Public Art Participation Project.

The designs were settled after a workshop in January 2018  and depict young people reading and playing, and the design incorporates living plants and a 3-D sensory element. (CC Media Release 19 April 2018)

Mayor Lara Symkowiak stated:

This large-scale artwork incorporates bold colours and imagery that brings colours and aspects of the library out into the street. The use of plants as part of the art creates a really dynamic sensory and textural element to the project. The artwork has been welcomed by the community, who have offered a lot of positive feedback to library staff and the artist. (CC Media Release 23 May 2018)

The mural artwork was commenced in April 2018 and completed in late May. (CC Media Release 19 April 2018)

A portion of one of the two mural artworks adjacent to the footpath along Queen Street outside Narellan Library (I Willis, 2023)

Youth Participation Public Art Program

The Narellan Library murals were part of Camden Council’s Youth Participation Art Project, which began in 2016 as a place-making initiative to create a sense of identity and belonging.

Established artists were engaged to mentor young artists and provide an opportunity for them to tell a personal story with new, distinctive, and innovative approaches.

The project covered the entire local government area and developed artworks on bus shelters, small-scale mural and pavement artworks, and a series of ARTangle display boxes at Oran Park.

The $25,000 budget from the youth project provided the funding for the Narellan Library murals. (CC Media Release 23 May 2018)

A portion of one of the two mural artworks along the Queen Street frontage of Narellan Library (I Willis 2023)

Mural artist Mandy Salter

Camden Council commissioned Blue Mountains-based mural artist Mandy Salter to undertake the murals at Narellan Library.

Salter draws her inspiration from a range of sources and writes on her LinkedIn page

 My art is all about making a difference and telling stories that inspire change. I’m not afraid to push boundaries and create visually stunning pieces that leave a lasting impression. I believe art has the power to transform society, and I’m excited to keep exploring and creating meaningful artworks that make an impact.

I love transforming urban spaces and grey walls into captivating artworks, and nature is my greatest inspiration. When I paint a mural, I want to bring the beauty of nature into the city. By combining mostly flora and fauna in an man-made environment, I hope to create a connection between them that feels balanced and peaceful.

I believe that by adding touches of colour and nature to our cities, we can make people’s everyday lives happier and more meaningful.

A portion of one of the two mural artworks along the Queen Street frontage of Narellan Library (Mandy Salter, 2018)

Mural artist Mandy Salter writes on her website and states:

My imagery often features children and/ or our native flora and fauna giving a voice to those who need it the most. Today we are more disconnected to our natural world than ever before.  Through my artworks, I want to highlight the important relationship between nature and humans by painting local flora and fauna in an urban environment. We need to be reminded of our role as custodians and protect what is left for future generations to come.

Mural artworks are a tool for economic development

Mural artworks are part of public artworks and can provide a source of economic development and have been used to build a sense of place and community identity in small country communities.

The first mural art to appear on siloes and public buildings appeared in Western Australia in 2015 and has since sparked interest across rural Australia.

Chris Fry writes about the Western Australia silo art trail.

Silo Art is all about turning dull grey silos into beautiful pieces of artwork.  Silo art has become a surefire way to draw visitors to small communities across the country. Many people now travel to towns they would otherwise have never heard of to see these beautifully decorated silos. Hopefully spending some time and money in the community in the process.

In country New South Wales, the silo art trail has sparked a growth in local tourism. Annette Green writes:

For us, Australia’s New South Wales Silo Art Trail was a wonderful experience and a fantastic opportunity to explore unknown territory. We travelled through towns we had never heard of before and probably would never had visited if it was not for the Australian Silo Art Trail. 

One of the two mural artworks on the Queen Street frontage of Narellan Library (I Willis 2023)

The Central University of Arkansas Center for Community and Economic Development director Amy Whitehead says that community murals can generate economic development. The Centre’s website states:

Finally, one of the most important aspects of a mural is its connection to community history and values. This provides community attachment to the mural, making people more likely to want to preserve the mural while also attracting tourists looking for art that reflects local culture.  

Murals have the opportunity to tell the community’s story, create a unique experience, engage citizens, increase foot traffic and tourism, increase appreciation for the arts and artists, and increase overall attractiveness of the space.

Mural artwork is an outdoor art gallery

Mural artwork is a form of street art that emerged from the counterculture of the 1980s and 1990s and provides an outdoor art gallery for all to enjoy. Mural art is accessible and democratic.

The Australia Your Way website states that

Street art has the power to bring imagination and expression to the dreariest parts of a city. Street art has come to be valued across the world for its playful, intelligent, and striking contributions to the modern city.

Australian street artist, muralist, and illustrator Happy Decay states

 Murals can create a sense of community, beautify urban spaces, express historical and cultural identity, raise awareness about social issues, and inspire creativity and wonder. As such, they are a powerful tool for making cities more vibrant, engaging, and meaningful places to live.

A portion of one of the two mural artworks along the Queen Street frontage of the Narellan Library. (IWillis 2023)
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‘The Tree of Life’, public art at Camden Council Administration Offices

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Art celebrates the Camden White Gum

When you enter the administration building of Camden Council at Oran Park, you pass an exciting sculpture along a wall adjacent to the entry.

The art installation extends from the entry to the end of the building. It is called The Tree of Life by sculptors Gillie and Marc celebrating the Camden White Gum.

The Tree of Life art installation by sculptures Gillie and Marc was commissioned by Camden Council for the opening of the administration building in 2016 (I Willis, 2023)

The artwork dimensions are described as ‘lifesize’, and the medium is corten steel. Corten or weathered steel is used in outdoor construction and artwork. The steel is designed to eliminate painting and will develop a rusted appearance if left exposed to the elements.

This image shows the situation of the art installation ‘The Tree of Life’ adjacent to the entry of the Camden Council office building. (I Willis, 2023)

Gillie and Marc describe the style of the artwork as contemporary sculpture, silhouette and botanical.

The information plaque tells the story of The Tree of Life adjacent to the art installation on the Camden Council administration building. (I Willis 2023)

The Tree of Life information plaque states:

The Tree of Life is to bring nature into the urban space and raise awareness about the Camden Whilte Gum that symbolises growth and vitality. It represents the passing of time and marking of the landscape. The tree’s branches mirror the branching out and emergence of the diverse social and cultural communities both of the past and present. The Camden White Gum (Eucalyptus benthamii) known as the Nepean River Gum is a threatened native tree, occurring along the Nepean River and its tributaries in Camden.

Camden Council administration building, 70 Central Ave, Oran Park.

The Camden White Gum is an endangered species and can be found along the Nepean River in the Camden area, Bents Basin, and the Kedumba Valley in the Blue Mountains.

The Camden White Gum, Eucalyptus benthamii, along the Nepean River. (Wikimedia, 2005)

The Gillie and Marc website describes the art installation, The Tree of Life, on the Camden Council office building this way:

A combination of steel and nature, trees and architecture. This is the relief for the Camden Council. Proudly displayed on the outside of their headquarters, this relief shows how a community can stay strong. There is a need for steel and strength, building infrastructure that will stand the test of time and keep people safe. But it is also important to not forget the natural world, combining the man-made with the organic qualities of the earth to keep us happy and healthy. Only then can we thrive.

https://gillieandmarc.com/collections/nature

Sculptures Gillie and Marc

The website of sculptors Gillie and Marc states

British and Australian artists, Gillie and Marc have been called “the most successful and prolific creators of public art in New York’s History” by the New York Times. Creating some of the world’s most innovative public sculptures, Gillie and Marc are redefining what public art should be, spreading messages of love, equality, and conservation around the world. Their highly coveted sculptures and paintings can be seen in art galleries and public sites in over 250 cities. They’re Archibald Prize Finalists and have won the Chianciano Biennale in Italy, together with winning 2 years in a row People’s Choice Award in Sydney’s Sculpture by the Sea, among many other notable awards and accolades.

Gillie and Marc are based in both Sydney and London, sharing their time between their two countries of birth.

https://gillieandmarc.com/pages/about

Opening of the administration building in 2016

The artwork was commissioned by Camden Council for the opening of the new administration building in 2016 at 70 Central Avenue, Oran Park.

The plaque commemorating the opening of the Camden Council administration building in 2016 (I Willis 2023)

The plaque at the opening of the council administration building in 2016 with members of the official party Chris Patterson MLA, Mayor Lara Symkowiak, Minister Paul O’Toole MLA, Tony Perich (2016 A McIntosh)

This image shows the Camden Council administration building (right) adjacent to the library. The artwork ‘The Tree of Life’ is on the RHS of entry at the centre of the office building at the end of the walkway. (I Willis, 2023)

The Tree of Life sculpture complements the art installations in the council library building commissioned by the council. The library building was opened at the same time as the administration building in 2016.

Updated on 18 July 2023. Originally posted on 17 July 2023 as ‘Public art at Camden Council Administration Offices’.

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Botanic gardens herbarium at Mount Annan wins top architecture award

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2023 Australian Institute of Landscape Architects Award

One of the newest facilities at the Australian Botanic Gardens Mount Annan, the National Herbarium of New South Wales, has won a top architecture award.

The AILA has awarded the design of the National Herbarium of NSW the  AILA 2023 NSW Australian Institute of Landscape Architects Awards in the category of Health & Education.

Designed by Australian architects and design studio Architectus the building was inspired by the seed pod of the waratah, the floral symbol of NSW.

The National Herbarium of New South Wales at the Australian Botanic Gardens Mount Annan. (2023, I Willis)

The citation for the award states:

The landscape design expresses a unique perspective of the nature of an herbarium: this place is not only dedicated to researching the science of plants and their ecosystems, but also making this knowledge accessible to the community. In a fluid and bespoke language, the design makes use of the site’s microclimates and topography to imbue ecosystems diversity and experiential richness with an holistic clarity. It beautifully dissembles the institution’s scientific remit to encourage visitor awareness of plants, ecology, and landscape.

https://aila.awardsplatform.com/gallery/nbaZWrEE/YqRZlowG?search=8a05d209e52fb180-20
The front profile of the National Herbarium of New South Wales at the Australian Botanic Gardens Mount Annan. The shape of the roofline was influenced by the seed pod of the waratah. (2023, Desmond Chan & Levi Pajarin)

Opening in 2022,  the AILA website states:

The National Herbarium of NSW houses more than 1.1 million plant specimens. Lacking the requisite environmental controls to maintain the collection and outgrowing its historic location, the Herbarium relocated to the Australian Botanic Gardens Mount Annan. With deep insulated walls protecting and preserving valuable plant specimens for future generations. Complementing the building’s aspirations, a bespoke landscape showcases significant and meaningful plants from the collection in living form. Reinforcing connection to Country, this offers a place for reconciliation and gathering and a celebration and living showcase of the collection’s diversity.

https://aila.awardsplatform.com/gallery/nbaZWrEE/YqRZlowG?search=8a05d209e52fb180-20

Problems at the herbarium at Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney

Before relocating the National Herbarium to the ABG Mount Annan, the plant collection was located in the Robert Brown building at the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. The collection faced several issues, including pest control.

The Robert Brown Building at the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney that housed the herbarium collection had several problems that endangered the plant collection. The plant collection was moved to the new herbarium building at Australia Botanic Gardens Mount Annan in 2022. (RBG Sydney, 2020)

The National Herbarium website states that the existing Robert Brown Building at the RBG Sydney was constructed in 1982.

The website continues:

the Herbarium’s storage capacity in the Robert Brown Building will also be exhausted by 2022. It is time critical that we create a new facility to fix these deficiencies and ensure our collection can grow and be utilised by other Herbaria around the world.

https://www.australianbotanicgarden.com.au/about-us/major-projects/building-a-new-herbarium-1

Relocation of herbarium to the Australian Botanic Gardens Mount Annan

In 2013 the garden trustees (RBG&DT) engaged RP Infrastructure to consult and develop a business case for a new facility and proceed as project managers. In 2015 Sydney architects Sam Crawford was hired to conduct a feasibility study on the relocation from RBG Sydney to ABG Mount Annan.

The state government supported the movement of move from the Sydney site to Mount Annan. The website states:

To safeguard the growing collection, which also includes a significant amount of historical plant specimens collected in 1770, the State Government supported the construction of the new state-of-the-art Herbarium facility with a $60 million investment in 2018.

https://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/stories/2022/world-class-herbarium-unveiled
The public entry to the foyer display area of to the National Herbarium of New South Wales at the ABG Mount Annan (I Willis, 2023)

New building

The herbarium building has six protective vaults that are environmentally controlled and provides new labs, equipment, and quarantine facilities.

The collection was moved to the ABG Mount Annan in 2021 and digitised as part of the project. The collection can be accessed online.

The exterior forecourt of the National Herbarium of New South Wales at the ABG Mount Annan and the location of the art installation Life Blood (I Willis, 2023)

History of herbarium plant collection

The collections of the National Herbarium of New South Wales date from 1770, made by botanists Sir Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander on Captain James Cook’s first voyage to the Pacific. By 1900, the Herbarium contained 15,000 named species – almost all the species then known in NSW.

A small herbarium and botanical museum was first established in 1853 when botanist Sir Charles Moore was the director of the RBG Sydney (1848-1896).

The number of botanical specimens grew significantly under the next director of the RBG Sydney, Joseph Maiden.

The first dedicated herbarium building was opened in 1901. By 1970 the herbarium held over 1 million specimens spread across five buildings.

The herbarium collection has grown to incorporate several other institutional collections, and they have included,

Collections from the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (now the Powerhouse Museum), Hawkesbury Agricultural College, the University of New South Wales moss collection, the NSW Forestry wood collection, and more recently collections from the John Macarthur Agricultural Institute.

James 2018
An aerial view of the National Herbarium of New South Wales at ABG Mount Annan. The PlantBank is on the RHS rear of the Herbarium, and the nursery greenhouses are on the left rear of the image. This view clearly shows the herbarium roof line and the influence of the shape of the waratah seedpod (2023, Desmond Chan & Levi Pajarin)

‘Jewel in the crown’

The herbarium collection is currently,

 valued at $280 million…More than 8000 new plant specimens [are] being added to the Herbarium every year. The world-renowned collection underpins vital scientific research and is essential for informing decisions about the conservation of our natural environment.

https://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/science/national-herbarium-of-new-south-wales

In 2020 the Herbarium became part of the Australian Institute of Botanical Science that

consists of the physical and virtual scientific collections, research, services and facilities, and our staff at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan and the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah.

Summerell 2020

The Herbarium is the site of the placement of Life Blood, an art installation.

A jewel in the crown of the Macarthur region the National Herbarium at the Australian Botanic Gardens at Mount Annan is a valuable addition to the scientific international status of the gardens.

References

Shelley A James 2018, ‘National Herbarium of NSW: This is Your Life!’ The Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, Sydney, 25 June. https://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/stories/2018/national-herbarium-of-nsw-this-is-your-life!

Charles Moore (botanist). (2022, April 8). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Moore_(botanist)

Brett Summerell 2020, ‘The Australian Institute of Botanical Science’. The Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, Sydney, 24 August. https://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/stories/2020/the-australian-institute-of-botanical-science

Updated on 24 June 2023. Originally posted on 23 June 2023 as ‘National Herbarium at ABG wins architecture gong’

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Public art at Campbelltown brightens up the Queen Street precinct

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Murals brighten up dull spaces around town

Keep your eyes open in central Campbelltown for inspiring public art installations that brighten up dull spaces around the town.

The Campbelltown Arts Centre, in conjunction with Campbelltown City Council and the NSW Government, have a program to re-invigorate the city centre using public art.

A screenshot of the public art webpage on the website of the Campbelltown Arts Centre. Each of the seven public art projects has a dedicated webpage with detailed descriptions of the artworks, what the artist was trying to achieve and the installation specifications. (CAC, 2023)

Public art positively affects the community and people’s self-esteem, self-confidence and well-being. Campbelltown Arts Centre has created a public art website to assist people in this process and shows several murals around the Queens Street precinct.

This blog has promoted the benefits of public art in and around the Macarthur region for some time now. There are lots of interesting public artworks around the area that are hidden in plain sight. This blog has highlighted the artworks and other artefacts, memorials and monuments that promote the Cowpastures region.

An exciting local example is the Campbelltown Campus of Western Sydney University is a vibrant sculpture space.

The public art program of the Campbelltown Arts Centre and Campbelltown City Council is creative, innovative and inspirational. It is playful yet takes a serious approach to a contemporary problem, urban blight.

Urban blight hits a once-vibrant retail precinct

Campbelltown’s urban blight originates in the 1973 New Cities of Campbelltown Camden Appin Structure Plan and the creation of the Macarthur Growth Centre.

The cover of the New Cities of Campbelltown Camden Appin Structure Plan (State Planning Authority of NSW, 1973)

These urban planning decisions came from the 1968 Sydney Regional Outline Plan of the NSW Askin Coalition Government.

Sydney-based planning decision created tensions between Campbelltown City Council and the Macarthur Development Board around what constituted the city centre. The Queen Street precinct, supported by the council, gradually declined in importance as a retail area as newer facilities opened up.

Queen Street could not compete with the new shopping mall Macarthur Square opened in 1979 by the Hon. Paul Landa, Minister for Planning and Environment in the Wran Labor Government.

High-value-added retailing deserted the Queen Street precinct and became populated by $2-shops and op-shops.

Campbelltown’s sense of place and community identity has taken a battering in the following decades.

Reinvigoration of the Queen Street precinct

The public art program at the Campbelltown Arts Centre is trying to ameliorate the problems of the past through community engagement in art installations.

In 2022 Mayor George Griess said

The murals would enhance the local streetscape and make the area more welcoming to residents and visitors.

“The first mural is located at one of the entrances to the CBD and will add a new element to our public domain,” Cr Greiss said.

“It’s important that works to the Queen Street precinct enhance the current amenity to build pride among residents and make the area more attractive to people visiting our city,” he said.

https://www.campbelltown.nsw.gov.au/News/CBDmurals

The mayor referred to an art installation created by Campbelltown street artist Danielle Mate ‘Raw Doings’ in Carberry Lane. The Arts Centre website states:

This vibrant and bold artwork comprises many shades of blue and purple, and is inspired by aerial views of Country and the Australian landscape.  

https://c-a-c.com.au/raw-undoings/

The mural ‘Raw Doings’ by street artists Danielle Mate was commissioned by Campbelltown City Council in 2022 (Document Photography/CAC 2022)

 In 2022 the Campbeltown City Council commissioned ‘Breathing Life / Bula ni Cegu / Paghinga ng Buhay’ by artists and designers Victoria Garcia and Bayvick Lawrance.

The Arts Centre website states:

 ‘Breathing Life’ is a celebration of Campbelltown’s thriving Pacific community, and the extensive connections between people, plants, animals and all living things.

https://c-a-c.com.au/breathing-life/

The mural ‘Breathing Life’ by artists Victoria Garcia and Bayvick Lawrance in 2022 and was commissioned by Campbelltown City Council (Document Photography/CAC 2022)

In 2012 Campbelltown City Council commissioned a mural board across the bus shelters at Campbelltown Railway Station supervised by Blak Douglas in Lithgow Street called ‘The Standout’. The art installation is the work of 28 artists across 70 panels with a full length of 175 metres.

The Arts Centre website states:

The Standout pays homage to the Dharawal Dreamtime Story of the ‘Seven Eucalypts’, and Douglas’ previous photographic series of deceased gums standing alone within landscapes and casting shadows within urban facades.

https://c-a-c.com.au/the-standout-by-blak-douglas/

The ‘Stand Out’ mural by Blak Douglas is located in Lithgow Street Campbelltown along the bus shelters outside Campbelltown Railway Station. The work was commissioned by Campbelltown City Council in 2012. (Black Douglas/CAC 2012)

The public art installation ‘Three Mobs’ by Chinese-Aboriginal artist Jason Wing was commissioned by Campbelltown City Council in 2022. The mural is located on Dumersq Street and Queen Street, the south side of the 7Eleven wall, and features a rainbow serpent as an intersection of cultures.

The Arts Centre public art website states:

Aboriginal culture reveres the rainbow serpent as the creator of all things on Earth. Chinese culture understands serpents to be a symbol for luck and abundance, and a highly desired zodiac sign.  

https://c-a-c.com.au/three-mobs/
Three Mobs mural by artist Jason Wing in 2022 commissioned by Campbelltown City Council (Document Photography 2022)

So what is public art?

Camden Council defines public art as:

Defined as any artistic work or activity designed and created by professional arts practitioners for the public domain, Public Art may be of a temporary or permanent nature and located in or part of a public open space, building or facility, including façade elements provided by either the public or private sector (not including memorials or plaques).

Public art can….

  • make art an everyday experience for residents and visitors
  • take many forms in many different materials and styles, such as lighting, sculpture, performance and artwork
  • be free-standing work or integrated into the fabric of buildings, streetscapes and outdoor spaces
  • draw its meaning from or add to the meaning of a particular site or place.
https://yourvoice.camden.nsw.gov.au/public-art-strategy

Why does public art matter?

On the website Americans for the Arts (2021) it states:

Public art humanizes the built environment and invigorates public spaces. It provides an intersection between past, present and future, between disciplines, and between ideas.

https://www.americansforthearts.org/sites/default/files/PublicArtNetwork_GreenPaper.pdf

The paper maintains that public art has the potential to reinvigorate public spaces and add to their vibrancy. It states:

Throughout history, public art can be an essential element when a municipality wishes to progress economically and to be viable to its current and prospective citizens. Data strongly indicates that cities with an active and dynamic cultural scene are more attractive to individuals and business.

https://www.americansforthearts.org/sites/default/files/PublicArtNetwork_GreenPaper.pdf
The statue of Elizabeth Macquarie by artist Tom Bass in Mawson Park in the Campbelltown CBD on Queen Street. The statue was commissioned by Campbelltown & Airds Historical Society in 2006 and cost $75,000. (Wikimedia)

What is the purpose of public art?

The Association for Public Art (2023) website says:

Public art can express community values, enhance our environment, transform a landscape, heighten our awareness, or question our assumptions. Placed in public sites, this art is there for everyone, a form of collective community expression. Public art is a reflection of how we see the world – the artist’s response to our time and place combined with our own sense of who we are.

associationforpublicart.org/what-is-public-art/

Public art can be found in the most unusual places. In this case, this is a statue of a boy at Emerald Hills Shopping Centre Leppington. The statue memorialises the St Andrews Boys Home that once was located on the Emerald Hills land release site. (I Willis 2021)

To continue the story of Campbelltown, this is an excellent overview by local author Jeff McGill with many fascinating images of past and present times. (Kingsclear Publication, 2017)

Updated 17 May 2023. Originally posted on 16 May 2023 as ‘Public art at Campbellton brightens up a dull space’.

https://doi.org/10.17613/546c-t984

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‘Baker, The Artist, The Influencer’, the exhibition

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A new gallery exhibition

If you are observant when walking around central Camden, new vibrant posters are publicising a new exhibition at the Alan Baker Art Gallery Macaria in John Street Camden.

A poster to be found in a bus shelter in John Street Camden advertising the exhibition. This poster is of the artist Alan D Baker and provides a colourful addition to passengers using the local bus service. (I Willis, 2023)

The posters are in all sorts of locations.

One of the most interesting is the back wall of the Oxley Street carpark.

An exhibition poster for ‘Baker, The Artist, The Influencer’ located on the rear wall of the Oxley Street carpark. Illustrating that art is for everyone and is accessible to all. The subject of the poster is Alan Baker’s wife, Marjorie. (I Willis, 2023)

The new exhibition is ‘Baker, The Artist, The Influencer’ and runs until September 2023.

 The exhibition is the story of the Camden Art Group, which commenced sometime in 1972.

The art group started with local school teacher Ken Rorke. He was an art teacher at Camden Public School from 1961 to 1981.

As a keen artist, Ken asked artist Alan Baker to teach a Wednesday night class, which he refused, but he agreed to provide ‘advice and an expert hand’.

The experiences of the Wednesday night art group were quite varied and prompted some individuals to further their art careers.

An exhibition poster of ‘Baker The Artist The Influencer’ using one of his works ‘The Master’s Student’, which was completed at the Wednesday night Camden Art Group session in 1975. The poster is located in the laneway at the rear of the Oxley Street carpark and brightens up an otherwise drab masonry wall. (I Willis, 2023)

The exhibition catalogue states:

Camden Art Group was comprised of a mix of people from all walks of life. There were local business people, high school students, teachers, mothers, fathers, forestry workers – anyone with an interest in art was welcomed and found a place for themselves among the friendly group.

The art group, usually consisting of an attendance of about 20 artists, fostered the creative talents of many people who have gone on to bigger and better things.

Alan Baker’s role was to be ‘an inspiring and charismatic force for the class’. (Ahmad, et al, 2018)

Rizwana found it interesting to compare her training in South Asian training with Alan Baker’s Realist technique and style. (Ahmad, et al, 2018)

Some were encouraged to extend their professional interest in art after being discouraged early in life. (Ahmad, et al, 2018)

The displayed artworks at the Alan Baker Art Gallery Macaria in John Street, Camden. These are some of the works from the Camden Art Group. (I Willis, 2023)

There were other benefits from the art group included lifelong friendships, opportunities for professional development, the development of a collegiate artistic atmosphere, mentoring of local artistic talent, the creation of a thriving arts community that encouraged creativity, and several participants’ lives that were changed by art. (Ahmad, et al, 2018)

Baker, mentor, artist, and local identity encouraged the art group members to experiment and use a range of styles and materials, and their work is displayed alongside Baker’s art in the exhibition.

The exhibition catalogue states:

Sleek sculptures in stone and wood, commemorative busts, traditional oil paintings, drawings, and expressive watercolours hand side by side. These works showcase the impressive body of work created by the Camden Art Group in the years of the group meetings and, continuing beyond Baker’s death, into the present day.

This artwork called ‘An Artists Life’ portrays the Camden Art Group busily at work in one of the classrooms at Camden Public School. Ken Rorke instigated the formation of the art group and invited Alan Baker to teach the class, which he refused to do. Instead, he offered to attend the group sessions and provide advice and an expert hand. He did this from 1972 until his death in 1987. Some of the participant artists of the group are listed, and their work is displayed in the exhibition. This work is located just inside the front door of the gallery. (I Willis 2023)

The Camden art group’s ground-breaking influence and its collegiate atmosphere is still evident today.

Exhibitions of artwork by Baker and others create an atmosphere that fosters creativity and innovation. Art can catalyse economic activity, leading to new businesses and job opportunities.

References

Gallery 2023, Baker, The Artist, The Influencer. Alan Baker Art Gallery Macaria, Camden.

Ian Willis 2018, ‘Alan Baker, the artist’. Camden History, September, vol 4, no 6, pp242-247.

Rizwana Ahmad, Patricia Johnston, Olive McAleer, Shirley Rorke, Nola Tegel, and John Wrigley, 2018, ‘Alan Baker Art Classes’. Camden History, September, vol 4, no 6, 248-257.

Ian Willis, 2018, ‘Alan Baker Art Gallery opening, a brush of class’. Camden History Notes Blog, Camden, 5 March. Online at https://camdenhistorynotes.com/2018/03/05/alan-baker-art-gallery-macaria-opening/