StreetWORKS is back for 2018, colouring streets across Maribyrnong
Published on 14 June 2018
New street art murals have popped up in Footscray, Seddon and Kingsville as part of Council’s annual StreetWORKS program.
The curated public art program creates innovative, visual street art to enliven our city’s spaces and places, while discouraging graffiti and tagging.
Over the past month, the three works have been installed by artists Carla McRae, 23rd Key and Sugar Sweet Paint. Each of the works reflect and honour the local area and community, either by paying homage to the City’s history and beauty, or by celebrating the diversity of our residents.
Using the concept of gender equity as the basis for her work, Carla McRae decided to focus on one message: the basic definition that everyone should be given equal representation, opportunities and support.
“I wanted to create a scene in which the dominant, traditional occupational roles that we see in society are inverted. In the design, women are seen as construction workers, chefs, high level business people and scientists, which men are seen as carers, nurses and dancers,” Carla said.
Carla hopes that by inverting the stereotypical norms and celebrating those working in non-traditional roles, she is able to empower women and inspire men in the community.
“As the saying goes, ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’,” Carla continued.
Artist Jess Kease (aka 23rd Key), whose piece has been installed on the side wall of Kingsville Flowerbar, took inspiration from floral wallpaper from the era of Kingsville’s housing stock.
“I have been working around the theme of heritage and housing for the last few months. This design takes examples of different eras of wallpaper – a large aspect of heritage and history with residential buildings in Victoria. I’ve also included grey sections in the design, which adds a statement about the different aspects of beauty we see in housing and how we justify what is worthy of protecting,” Jess said.
The final piece for 2018 has been created by artist Alex Kinneen (aka Sugar Sweet Paint) in Seddon. Alex aimed to communicate the harmonious multiculturalism within the local community through his mural.
“Seddon’s cultural diversity is celebrated through the inclusion of animals native to the population’s primary regions of origin. The mural also features a 1950s tram – akin to those that ran down the main streets of Gamon, Victoria, and Charles – and promotes Seddon’s roots by detailing ‘Belgravia’ (Seddon’s original name) along the side of the tram,” Alex continued.
Since the program’s inception in 2014, 30 street art pieces have been installed at various locations across the City of Maribyrnong.
StreetWORKS 2018
The three new StreetWORKS installations can be viewed at the following locations:
Artist: Carla McRae
Location: Corner Donald and Blackston Streets, Footscray (Donald Street facing wall)
Artist: 23rd Key
Location: Kingsville Flowerbar – formally Kingsville post office, 186 Somerville Rd, Kingsville (Chirnside Street facing wall)
Artist: Sugar Sweet Paint
Location: Food Works, Seddon – 85-87 Charles Street, Seddon (Greig Street facing wall)
Message from the Mayor, Cr Cuc Lam
StreetWORKS is a collaboration between Maribyrnong City Council, local artists, property and business owners that enables art to be appreciated by the entire community in locations across the city. The initiative supports and promotes the arts while contributing to the visual amenity of our neighbourhoods and has the added benefit of reducing graffiti and tagging.
Maribyrnong News
Stay up-to-date with the latest news by subscribing to our eNews.