Street art and graffiti opportunities

Lawrence: Harmony of Australian Fauna

• This work depicts a blend of Australian fauna and Rajasthani flora. The platypus and hare gracefully navigate the canvas, their forms outlined with flowing lines inspired by Rajasthan's ornate floral motifs. Shimmering Christmas beetles, a soaring yellow-tailed cockatoo and a resilient blue-tongue lizard, all intricately depicted with sinuous lines, weave a harmonious narrative. Completing the tableau, the elegant black swan's graceful lines intertwine with Rajasthani-inspired florals. The piece invites viewers to appreciate the delicate balance between nature and art, a celebration of unity amid diversity.
• To see more of Lawrence's work visit his Instagram page or website.

Carlos Sanchez Zapata AKA: Cosmic Surfer Here we go again.

• The energy that comes from nature is transformed through skaters' movements and acrobatics. Carlos Sanchez Zapata is a Colombian cook by vocation and holds a degree in Chemistry and Gastronomy. He currently works as an independent artist and runs his own business as a house and commercial painter. He is a self-taught artist who likes to experiment with different materials to express his ideas, he works with paint, drawing, textiles and recycling objects.
• To see more of Carol's work visit his Instagram page or website.

Tracy Hall: Ode To Our Oceans

• Tracy Hall is a local artist and graphic designer. She hopes her artwork and the words of Amanda Gorman provoke thoughts of how our actions effect everything we do. “Although Canberra does not have an ocean, I think it’s essential we remember the oceans are the lungs of this planet. We all enjoy the beach lifestyle and all it has to offer so let’s love our ocean, the sea creatures, and the environment so it will be there for all of us,” She said.
• To see more of Tracy's work visit her website.

Sarah Murray (she/they): Untitled

• Sarah Murray is a Canberra-based artist working in painting, drawing and installation, whose work balances abstraction and figuration. She uses gestural mark-making to explore an engagement of the body and place. Sarah's work was created response to the natural landscape and environment of South Canberra, in particular responding to the beautiful explosions of colour that occur when the sun sets over the valley: the blue/purple hues of the Brindebellas, the yellow/green of the grasslands and the vibrant orange of the setting sun. The abstracted tree-forms were sketched en-plein in South Canberra, Ngunnawal and Ngambri country. The shifting, gestural lines and marks create a sense of movement and embodied experience of the lively landscape.
• To see more of Sarah's work visit her Instagram page or website.

Paul Summerfield: ACT Transport: Present to Future Visions

• Paul Summerfield invited the Woden community to a workshop at Tuggeranong Arts Centre where they could submit ideas for their visions of transport in the ACT. He used their sketches and incorporated them into a greater artwork spanning 6 panels. The artwork features the motifs he uses in his fantastical digital artworks. This includes birds, clouds, flying junkets and fantasy spaceships. He used the Canberra light rail as inspiration for several of the flying machines and also a selection of buses from past and present. “I hope the work brings a few smiles to commuters as they traverse the ACT transport network,” he said.
• To see more of Paul's work visit his website.

Yamile Tafur Rios: Places of Joy

• This mural was designed based on ideas received from multicultural groups in the Woden area about home, loved places and spaces of comfort. Ideas from different perspectives and backgrounds were welcomed. The artist enjoyed the consulting process by talking to the community, exchanging experiences and making connections with others to present a mural with colourful and dynamic images that take the audience to places full of joy.
• Yamile Tafur Rios is an artist and educator from Colombia and is now based in Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country. She has been granted support from the Colombian Ministry of Culture, ArtsACT and other institutions such as Ainslie + Gorman Arts Centres and You Are Here Canberra for some of her creative projects. Her art focuses on the process of manual labour, everyday occupations and ways of belonging. Her practice comprises drawing, painting and community projects. She also likes to experiment with different media including textiles, weaving and collage.
• To see more of Yamile's work visit her Instagram page or website.

Dan Byrd: Passengers of Woden

• For this project Dan Byrd took an interest in the variety of ways people move to and from the interchange. Having in mind that rail and bus are the best of mass people movers, the artist’s versions of multispecies commuters draw on a range of modes to disperse into the community.
• The themes of his work have grown out of his longstanding inquiry into Australia’s natural environment. His works make us think about its fragility, its management and the traces of human passage through it. They are often provocations that encourage viewers to consider the impact of human activity through the lens of the natural environment. They reflect his personal experiences and observations, but he bends and splinters them in ways that create refractions that magnify current vernaculars of politics, pop culture and histories of place.
• To see more of Dan's work visit his Instagram page.

Yanni Pounartzis: Transient

• This piece was inspired by the transient nature of the Woden Temporary Bus Interchange. The irregular shapes mirror the unpredictability and constant flux of the transit hub, capturing the essence of movement and transition.
• The projection of shapes in various directions not only reflects the diverse paths of the commuters, but also hints at the interconnectedness of their journeys. The vibrant composition and colour palette, carefully curated with input from bus drivers, embody the energy and liveliness of the space. By engaging with the drivers, the artist sought to understand their perspectives and experiences, incorporating their insights into the artistic representation.
• to see more of Yanni's work visit her Instagram page or website

Mimi Fairall: Untitled

• Mimi submitted a survey to Canberra bus drivers containing questions such as 'What is your favourite area or landmark in Canberra and why?' and 'What change do you want to see in your industry?' and she received a diverse range of answers. The feedback from the bus drivers has inspired the images in this 20-piece series of lino carvings mounted on plywood. Themes range from iconic Canberra places to environmental concerns to disability and safety. The blue and black are representative of the Transport Canberra buses and the yellow edges reference the yellow bike racks.
• Mimi Fairall is a multi-disciplinary artist who primarily works from Sydney, Canberra and the NSW South Coast. Her work is an intuitive and process based practice centred around drawing, painting, printmaking, installation and murals. She also facilitates and participates in collaborative community projects, workshops and assisting established street artists with large scale works.
• To see more of Mimi's work visit her Instagram page or website.

2020-21 Creative Endeavour Grants

• Anthony Gilkes painted a public mural for the community based on the law of vibration with a $10,000 grant.
• Belle Palmer researched and explored the possibilities of interactive and ephemeral public art with a $9,360 grant.
• Bjarni (Happy decay) worked with Mura Lanyon Youth & Community Centre to run workshops with local schools to create street art to reactivate the front of the building with a $10,000 grant.
• Bohie Palecek (Cam Michael) used a $10,000 grant to work with a mentor to research adapting digital and small paint works into large scale work and document them on social media . See Cam's artwork.
• Cameron Wilson created digital prints of unique Canberra sites that integrate street art elements with a $10,000 grant. See Cameron's artwork.
• Claire Granata ran the Public Art Treasure Hunt, a free, interactive art event which allows people to connect more deeply with public spaces, with a $5,445 grant. See Claire's artwork.
• Dai Cameron collaborated with a local filmmaker, shared past work and processes via online platforms, undertook research and development for future projects and created large scale works in the ACT with a $10,000 grant.
• Dan Maginnity (Byrd) produced a mural and undertook a review of his archives to produce some publications with a $10,000 grant.
• Edward Mowat produced a number of public works, including painting a community based mural at Communities@ Work in Gungahlin and a nature play space in Torrens with a $10,000 grant. See Edward's artwork.
• Faith Kerehona produced a mural depicting native flora/fauna and bush tucker with consultation from the local community and Ngunnawal/Ngambri peoples with a $10,000 grant. See Faith's artwork.
• Geoff Filmer (Graffik Paint) completed advanced training online and explored designs and new painting techniques to bring enhanced street art and ground painting to Canberra with a $5,000 grant.
• Jacqui Malins worked with 3 street and graffiti artists and 3 poets with a $8,900 grant. Watch a video of Jacqui.
• Jason Burgess ran online-based courses in airbrush techniques, career development and mentorship with a $7,051 grant. See Jason's artwork.
• John Vukovic (VOIR) created a series of murals composed of bright colours, large natural shapes, rendered with gentle distortion and textural noise with a $10,000 grant.
• Kate Matthews used a $8,858 grant to photograph and self-publish a photobook addressing the invisible barriers within public spaces in the Capital region.
• Kirrily Jordan used a $10,000 grant to create a mural sharing inspiring quotes from a range of Canberrans about what matters as we move forward from the impacts of bushfires and COVID-19. It combines these visions with illustrations from Canberra’s natural environment, where we might turn for both solace and inspiration. See Kirrily's artwork.
• Kristie Peters (Yarrudhamarra Creations) worked alongside students to complete a community based mural at Taylor Primary School, with a $9,570 grant.
• Kurt Laurenson (Stylized Impact) produced four street art murals at Ted Noffs Foundation. He will also be doing studio research and creating five new artworks with a $9,000 grant. See Kurt's artwork.
• Lawrence Tan produced a series of public artworks and teach young dancers with a $10,000 grant. See Lawrence's artwork.
• Paul (PAW) created augmented reality works on artwork on electricity boxes and potentially mural sites with a $7,000 grant. See Paul's artwork.
• Paul Summerfield worked with Libraries ACT to produce a digitally created wallpaper mural inside the Belconnen Library. The mural will cover several walls and windows and will be located adjacent to the children's area in the library with a $9,700 grant. See a video of Paul's artwork.
• Photo Access commissioned a Canberra-based photo-media artist to create a new large-scale public work to be installed on the exterior of the Manuka Arts Centre with a $4,074 grant.
• Sancho Murphy produced and documented the making of limited-edition screen printed tees featuring designs by local and regional street artists with a $10,000 grant.
• Simon Sawell mashed together 4 of his favourite artists, spliced, layered and reimagined into a 'COVID 2020' mix up with a $10,000 grant.

2021 Community grants alongside Surface Festival

• Weston Creek Community Council ran community street art projects in Weston Creek with a $10,000 grant.
• Woden Community Service ran a community street art project/s and mentoring to help promote the Woden legal graffiti drains practice wall with a $10,000 grant.
• People Lab ran a visual Treasure Hunt to help connect the Civic and Braddon locations with a $9,000 grant.
• Localjinni held a walking and scooter tour and Dynamo hub light projection project to promote connection to local spaces through artwork with a $6,000 grant.
• Meridian completed a community street art project in Braddon to raise awareness around LGBTIQ+ people with $10,000.
• Project Beats held a street dance block party to highlight the connection between street dance and street art, and other hip hop cultural elements with a $10,000 grant.
• Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres worked with experimental artists to carry out unique projects and to use the AGAC venue and spaces with a $10,000 grant.
• Nortshside Community Service worked with young people to carry out street art mentoring project/s in Gungahlin with a $15,000 grant.

2021 Community street art grants

• Play Activation Network commissioned artists from the Play Activation Network to develop playful ways to promote interactivity with murals and people at Surface Festival with a $15,000 grant.
• Blue Gum Community School worked with a female artist to mentor students at the local Hackett shops to create a street art mural representing connection to the environment with a $13,000 grant.
• Weston Creek Community Council worked with the community to carry out a mural art to activate urban spaces in Weston Creek with a $8,000 grant.
• Woden Community Service carried out a community engagement project in Lyons and a street art mural project at the local shops to help activate the space and bring the community together with a $10,000 grant.
• Communities@work carried out a street art mural project at the Illoura childcare front entrance, highlighting the Ngunnawal term Illoura, with a $8,000 grant.
• Farrer Community Association worked with the community and a local Aboriginal artist to create a mural at the Farrer shops to help activate the space and connect community with a $15,000 grant.
• Greening Australia carried out a street art project with local artists encouraging people to consider the environment at the Greening Australia outdoor walls with a $10,000 grant.